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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pass — a permit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rest — what's left
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. file — a tool
  8. rest — a break
  9. file — a line of people
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. board — a committee
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. rest — what's left
  16. date — the fruit
  17. board — to get on
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. sharp — clever
  23. file — a document
  24. pass — to succeed

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