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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a tool
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. cap — of ice
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cap — a lid
  15. file — a document
  16. cap — a hat
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rash — hasty
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rash — a series

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