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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bass — low music
  3. file — a document
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fall — to drop
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. file — a line of people
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. nail — on a finger

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