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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 116 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. file — a document
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cap — a lid
  5. file — a tool
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rock — a stone
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. cap — a hat
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bark — to shout
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. file — a line of people
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. rock — 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