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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pit — a hole
  7. file — a tool
  8. mate — a partner
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. lean — thin
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pit — in a race
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. mouse — for a computer

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