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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. file — a document
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — a friend
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. staff — employees
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mug — to rob
  10. chest — a box
  11. pop — music
  12. mate — to breed
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pop — soda
  15. file — a line of people
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. file — a tool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mug — a face

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