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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 120 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  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. fine — all right
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. mug — a cup
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mug — a face
  7. fine — high quality
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. mug — to rob
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. net — in sport
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. tube — a container
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. net — for catching
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pound — a weight
  22. net — after costs
  23. file — a tool
  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