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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. drill — army training
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. drill — a practice
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rock — music
  10. drill — the tool
  11. staff — employees
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wind — moving air
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a document
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wind — moving air
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — a trail
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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