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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. swing — in golf
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rest — a break
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. swing — to play on
  11. cue — a hint
  12. chest — a box
  13. cue — for pool
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bank — for money
  18. swing — music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bank — of a river
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bank — for money

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