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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: pit · root · bass · file · plane · leaves · pass · rush

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. root — of a plant
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pit — a hole
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. rush — hurry
  21. file — a document
  22. bass — low music
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pass — to spend time

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