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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. file — a document
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. file — a tool
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bulb — for light
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bulb — for light
  12. land — a country
  13. mate — to breed
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. land — to come down
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mate — a friend
  19. file — a line of people
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. mate — a partner

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