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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pop — music
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rush — hurry
  6. march — the month
  7. file — a tool
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. file — a line of people
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. board — to get on
  13. pop — to visit
  14. march — music
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — to wash
  18. march — the month
  19. file — a document
  20. pop — soda
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. board — a committee
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pass — a permit

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