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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. lie — to recline
  3. file — a line of people
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. plane — a tool
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. file — a document
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. saw — the tool
  19. file — a tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rule — government

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