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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. cue — a hint
  3. file — a document
  4. rest — what's left
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. land — to come down
  8. file — a line of people
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spell — a short time
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. file — a tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. land — a country
  17. spell — magic
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. land — ground
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. cue — for pool
  23. spell — letters
  24. rush — hurry

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