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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. tube — the underground
  3. last — to go on
  4. rest — what's left
  5. charge — in control
  6. rest — a break
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. toast — bread
  11. drill — army training
  12. charge — electricity
  13. drill — a practice
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. last — finally
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pass — a permit
  19. charge — a price
  20. rest — what's left
  21. file — a line of people
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. last — final
  24. file — a document

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com