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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: chair · jam · rash · net · file · dip · patient · straw

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. dip — to sink
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rash — hasty
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. file — a document
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. file — a tool
  15. net — after costs
  16. rash — a series
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. net — in sport

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