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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bank — of a river
  4. file — a document
  5. tube — a container
  6. bank — for money
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. march — the month
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. ball — a dance
  13. tube — the underground
  14. ball — a great time
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. march — the month
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. march — music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bank — for money
  24. file — a tool

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