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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 116 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. file — a document
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. suit — to fit
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. cell — a phone
  9. snap — to click
  10. saw — the tool
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. mark — a grade
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mark — a trace
  15. cell — in biology
  16. saw — the tool
  17. suit — in cards
  18. file — a tool
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. patient — a sick person

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