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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. club — for dancing
  7. charge — a price
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. hand — help
  10. staff — employees
  11. charge — electricity
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. club — a group
  14. file — a document
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. charge — in control
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. hand — in cards
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. club — for golf

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