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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: saw · pass · lean · race · roll · bat · bear · file

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bear — the animal
  6. race — humankind
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. file — a line of people
  11. race — a contest
  12. lean — to bend
  13. roll — a list
  14. file — a tool
  15. lean — thin
  16. saw — the tool
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. pass — a permit
  23. saw — the tool
  24. roll — on a roll

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