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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. firm — a company
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. wind — moving air
  9. firm — steady
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. game — wild animals
  12. file — a line of people
  13. wind — moving air
  14. game — a match
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. patient — a sick person

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