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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. spring — of water
  4. firm — decided
  5. cell — a phone
  6. file — a tool
  7. plane — a tool
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. firm — a company
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spring — the season
  12. drill — a practice
  13. cell — in biology
  14. file — a document
  15. firm — steady
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. drill — the tool
  22. spring — a coil
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. drill — army training

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