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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 116 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  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. tube — a container
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fall — the season
  6. net — in sport
  7. fall — to drop
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pit — a hole
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a document
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. net — after costs
  19. pit — in a race
  20. fall — to drop
  21. saw — the tool
  22. net — for catching
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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