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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. file — a tool
  3. current — electric
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. current — of water
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a document
  9. bass — low music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. current — happening now
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. swing — music
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. trunk — of a car

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