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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bank — for money
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. charge — in control
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. row — to paddle
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bank — for money
  14. charge — a price
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. tube — a container
  18. file — a line of people
  19. charge — electricity
  20. file — a tool
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. file — a document
  24. bank — of a river

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