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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  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. pass — to succeed
  2. fall — to drop
  3. staff — employees
  4. file — a tool
  5. last — finally
  6. last — to go on
  7. suit — to fit
  8. craft — a skill
  9. last — final
  10. staff — employees
  11. fall — the season
  12. craft — boats
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. suit — clothes
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. fall — to drop
  17. file — a line of people
  18. staff — a stick
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. file — a document
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bowl — a football final
  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