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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. file — a line of people
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bore — to tire
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. field — for sport
  9. cell — in biology
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rock — music
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. file — a document
  15. cap — of ice
  16. file — a tool
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cap — a lid
  22. field — farmland
  23. fall — to drop
  24. field — a subject

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