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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. fall — to drop
  5. key — for a lock
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. fall — the season
  9. file — a document
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. file — a tool
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. key — in music
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fall — to drop

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