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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. firm — decided
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. file — a document
  8. cap — a hat
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. firm — steady
  12. cap — of ice
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. firm — a company
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. rush — hurry
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. file — a line of people
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cap — a lid
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bound — certain

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