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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. snap — to click
  3. bank — for money
  4. file — a tool
  5. date — the fruit
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. bank — for money
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. file — a document
  12. mug — a cup
  13. file — a line of people
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. plane — a tool
  19. mug — to rob
  20. charge — in control
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pass — a permit

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