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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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 — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bank — for money
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. face — to confront
  9. bank — of a river
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. last — final
  13. file — a document
  14. wound — an injury
  15. face — part of the head
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bank — for money
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. last — finally
  21. file — a tool
  22. last — to go on
  23. swing — music
  24. face — to point toward

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