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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. suit — clothes
  3. file — a document
  4. march — the month
  5. file — a tool
  6. hand — help
  7. suit — to fit
  8. march — the month
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. hand — in cards
  13. march — music
  14. file — a line of people
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. suit — in cards
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. object — to protest
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. plane — a tool
  24. object — a thing

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