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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. lie — to recline
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mate — a friend
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. wake — a trail
  12. file — a line of people
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. roll — a list
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. roll — a cake
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mate — a partner
  22. file — a tool
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wake — before a funeral

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