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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. plane — a tool
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. file — a document
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. board — to get on
  7. content — happy
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. file — a tool
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. content — the amount
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pit — a hole
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. pit — in a race
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. key — in music
  23. file — a line of people
  24. board — a committee

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