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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. file — a line of people
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bank — for money
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bank — for money
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pound — a weight
  20. file — a tool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bank — of a river

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