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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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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: rock · patient · fine · file · mug · bass · fan · spell

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mug — to rob
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. file — a tool
  10. fine — all right
  11. file — a line of people
  12. fine — high quality
  13. spell — a short time
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mug — a face
  18. spell — letters
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. file — a document
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. spell — magic

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