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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · file · present · kick · clip · mouse

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. clip — for paper
  4. present — a gift
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. present — the time now
  8. clip — to cut
  9. kick — in football
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. file — a line of people
  13. clip — a video
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. present — there
  16. file — a tool
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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