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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. root — the cause
  3. season — in sport
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. file — a line of people
  6. firm — decided
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — of the year
  9. firm — a company
  10. file — a tool
  11. wind — moving air
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. club — a group
  14. firm — steady
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. club — for dancing
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. root — of a word
  19. club — for golf
  20. saw — the tool
  21. file — a document
  22. wind — moving air
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. root — of a plant

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