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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. file — a tool
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stand — to bear
  5. file — a line of people
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. cue — a signal
  8. shower — rain
  9. rock — a stone
  10. hand — help
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cue — a hint
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rock — music
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. shower — to wash
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cue — for pool
  23. file — a document
  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