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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pit — in a race
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. file — a line of people
  9. stand — to bear
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. snap — to click
  12. branch — a division
  13. stock — goods
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pit — a hole
  17. stock — shares
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. file — a tool
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. stock — a soup base
  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