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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. 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. bank — for money
  2. suit — in cards
  3. swing — in golf
  4. suit — clothes
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. mate — to breed
  8. file — a document
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mate — a partner
  11. file — a tool
  12. mate — a friend
  13. file — a line of people
  14. swing — music
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bank — for money
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. field — for sport
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. swing — to play on
  24. 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