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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. cue — a signal
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. kick — in football
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. deal — to handle
  7. cue — a hint
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. file — a line of people
  10. pit — a hole
  11. file — a tool
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bound — tied together
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cue — for pool
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bound — certain
  23. pit — in a race
  24. mate — a friend

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