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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bore — to tire
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. file — a tool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. ground — a position
  13. tube — a container
  14. bass — the fish
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. tube — the underground
  18. file — a document
  19. bore — to drill
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bass — low music

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