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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. file — a document
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pop — soda
  6. march — music
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pop — to visit
  11. file — a line of people
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. swing — in golf
  14. march — the month
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pop — music
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. swing — music
  21. march — the month
  22. file — a tool
  23. swing — to play on
  24. leaves — of a tree

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