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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. file — a document
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. rash — hasty
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. scale — size or range
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. file — a line of people
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rash — a series
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. rash — on the skin

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