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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pass — a permit
  4. file — a line of people
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rest — a break
  10. kid — child
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. kid — to tease
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. file — a document
  21. chair — a leader
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bowl — a football final

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