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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pass — a permit
  4. net — in sport
  5. kick — in football
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. file — a document
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. charge — a price
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. charge — electricity
  16. net — for catching
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. net — after costs
  20. file — a tool
  21. spring — a coil
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. charge — in control
  24. pass — to spend time

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