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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. file — a tool
  3. degree — from a university
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. object — to protest
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pass — a permit
  10. file — a line of people
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bank — for money
  17. object — an aim
  18. degree — an amount
  19. object — a thing
  20. bank — of a river
  21. file — a document
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bank — for money
  24. pass — to spend time

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