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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. game — a match
  3. file — a tool
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. charge — in control
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. wax — to grow
  9. charge — electricity
  10. game — wild animals
  11. charge — a price
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. fall — the season
  14. file — a line of people
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. fall — to drop
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. pass — to succeed

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