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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. stand — on your feet
  2. file — a document
  3. can — a tin
  4. club — for golf
  5. can — a tin
  6. clip — to cut
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. drill — the tool
  9. clip — for paper
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. clip — a video
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — army training
  15. club — for dancing
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a tool
  20. stand — to bear
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. club — a group
  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