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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: present · file · pass · lash · object · firm · drill · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. file — a tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — a permit
  8. present — there
  9. firm — steady
  10. drill — the tool
  11. file — a document
  12. object — an aim
  13. firm — decided
  14. object — to protest
  15. present — a gift
  16. firm — a company
  17. object — a thing
  18. file — a line of people
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. present — the time now
  21. track — a song
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. drill — a practice
  24. track — to keep track

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