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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · pass · rule · shower · fine · trunk · file · leaves

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. rule — government
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. file — a line of people
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. shower — to wash
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pass — a permit
  18. file — a tool
  19. swing — in golf
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. fine — all right
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. rule — a law
  24. shower — rain

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