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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. file — a document
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. file — a tool
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bank — of a river
  7. drill — army training
  8. capital — money
  9. drill — a practice
  10. mate — a partner
  11. can — a tin
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bank — for money
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bank — for money
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rush — hurry
  21. can — a tin
  22. capital — a city
  23. file — a line of people
  24. can — to be able to

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