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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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Word bank
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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: nail · pass · date · snap · fork · file · lie · march

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. snap — to click
  3. file — a document
  4. march — the month
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. file — a tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. march — the month
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. march — music
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pass — a permit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. file — a line of people

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