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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.

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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. file — a line of people
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. tube — a container
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to sink
  10. tube — the underground
  11. key — the most important part
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cold — not warm
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. key — in music
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. scale — in music
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. scale — size or range
  23. key — for a lock
  24. tube — in a tire

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