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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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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — electricity
  13. file — a line of people
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. file — a tool
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. prune — to trim
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. file — a document
  22. charge — a price
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. prune — to trim

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