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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. season — in sport
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wax — to grow
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. file — a tool
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. file — a document
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. deal — to handle
  19. rush — hurry
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. season — of the year
  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