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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. file — a document
  4. current — of water
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ball — a dance
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. last — final
  10. fall — the season
  11. file — a tool
  12. pass — a permit
  13. ball — a great time
  14. current — electric
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. last — to go on
  19. file — a line of people
  20. last — finally
  21. current — happening now
  22. fall — to drop
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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