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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pass — a permit
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. file — a document
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a tool
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. fork — in a road
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. fork — to eat with

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