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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 116 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. file — a document
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. fine — all right
  5. pit — a hole
  6. file — a tool
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mate — a partner
  10. shower — rain
  11. file — a line of people
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mate — to breed
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. shower — to wash
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rule — a law
  24. pit — in a race

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