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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. ball — a dance
  5. fall — the season
  6. file — a line of people
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. file — a tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. file — a document
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bank — for money
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wound — an injury
  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