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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. object — to protest
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a tool
  10. fall — the season
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. object — an aim
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. fall — to drop
  17. file — a line of people
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lean — thin
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. object — a thing
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. lean — to bend

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