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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 120 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: rule · file · bat · spring · last · mate · can · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. mate — a friend
  3. spring — the season
  4. file — a tool
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. last — finally
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. rule — government
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. can — a tin
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bat — the animal
  17. spring — of water
  18. file — a document
  19. rule — a law
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mate — to breed
  23. last — final
  24. last — to go on

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