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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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 line of people
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. current — happening now
  8. key — in music
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. key — for a lock
  11. file — a tool
  12. charge — electricity
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to click
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. charge — in control
  18. current — of water
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. charge — a price
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. current — electric
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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