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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 120 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. charge — in control
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. last — final
  5. file — a tool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. charge — a price
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. file — a document
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. suit — to fit
  13. charge — electricity
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. suit — in cards
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. kid — to tease
  19. last — finally
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. suit — clothes
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. last — to go on

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