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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: fall · file · game · season · safe · mark · pass · band

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. season — of the year
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. fall — to drop
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. fall — the season
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. game — a match
  12. fall — to drop
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a line of people
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. band — a ring
  17. mark — a grade
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mark — a trace
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. band — a music group
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. season — in sport

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