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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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 tool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. file — a line of people
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. band — a music group
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. file — a document
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pit — in a race
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pit — a hole
  15. season — in sport
  16. band — a ring
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. season — of the year
  22. perch — the fish
  23. hide — animal skin
  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