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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fine — high quality
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mug — a face
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. fine — all right
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pit — a hole
  12. file — a line of people
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mug — a cup
  17. squash — the sport
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pit — in a race
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. file — a document
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. file — a tool

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