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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 124 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. can — a tin
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. can — to be able to
  6. cue — for pool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. row — a line
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. can — a tin
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cue — a signal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. row — to paddle
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rest — a break
  21. cue — a hint
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stand — to bear
  24. file — a document

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