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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. court — of law
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. file — a tool
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bound — obliged
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. file — a document
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bound — certain
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lash — an eyelash

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