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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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. row — a line
  7. current — electric
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. file — a document
  12. row — to paddle
  13. current — happening now
  14. court — for sport
  15. craft — a skill
  16. court — of a king
  17. current — of water
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. craft — boats
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. court — of law
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. patient — a sick person

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