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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. shower — rain
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. roll — a cake
  5. roll — a list
  6. firm — steady
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. file — a line of people
  10. shower — to wash
  11. saw — the tool
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. firm — a company
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pass — a permit
  18. saw — the tool
  19. firm — decided
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. file — a document
  23. lie — to recline
  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