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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 116 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. file — a document
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. charge — in control
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. file — a line of people
  9. charge — electricity
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. charge — a price
  18. branch — a division
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. net — after costs
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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