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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · wave · pound · file · arm · swing · bore · pass

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. fall — to drop
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pound — a weight
  7. fall — the season
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. swing — to play on
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bore — to drill
  18. file — a tool
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. swing — music
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. file — a line of people
  24. swing — in golf

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