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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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. chair — to sit on
  2. fine — high quality
  3. tube — a container
  4. rash — a series
  5. season — of the year
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. season — in sport
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. chair — a leader
  15. tube — the underground
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — all right
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rash — hasty
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. file — a document
  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