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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fall — the season
  5. rush — hurry
  6. clip — a video
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rest — a break
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. clip — to cut
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rest — what's left
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. clip — for paper
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pass — to succeed
  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