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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  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. file — a document
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cold — an illness
  5. dip — to sink
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. cold — not warm
  10. rush — hurry
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. file — a tool
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. mug — to rob
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mug — a face
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. file — a line of people
  20. mug — a cup
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. suit — to fit
  23. patient — a sick person
  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