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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — a face
  3. staff — a stick
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. file — a line of people
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. staff — employees
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. file — a tool
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fine — high quality
  14. file — a document
  15. staff — employees
  16. fine — all right
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mug — to rob
  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