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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — to fit
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rest — what's left
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rest — what's left
  8. drill — a practice
  9. file — a document
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. suit — in cards
  12. drill — army training
  13. spell — magic
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. file — a line of people
  16. spell — a short time
  17. drill — the tool
  18. rest — a break
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. spell — letters
  22. bark — to shout
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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