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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
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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: file · rash · bear · key · roll · band · pass · swing

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bear — the animal
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. key — for a lock
  8. band — a ring
  9. file — a tool
  10. swing — to play on
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — a list
  13. rash — hasty
  14. file — a line of people
  15. key — in music
  16. file — a document
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. key — the most important part
  19. band — a music group
  20. bear — the animal
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. swing — music
  23. rash — a series
  24. pass — a permit

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