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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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Word bank
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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. fine — all right
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. race — the arms race
  11. stand — to bear
  12. fork — in a road
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. file — a tool
  16. race — a contest
  17. wound — an injury
  18. race — humankind
  19. kick — in football
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. fine — high quality
  23. kick — with a leg
  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