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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. band — a ring
  6. spell — a short time
  7. fall — to drop
  8. file — a line of people
  9. spell — magic
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. file — a document
  14. band — a music group
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pass — a permit
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. spell — letters
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. prune — to trim

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