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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: present · patient · dip · file · foot · rest · march · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mug — a face
  4. present — the time now
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mug — to rob
  7. march — the month
  8. file — a tool
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rest — what's left
  11. file — a line of people
  12. march — the month
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. rest — a break
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to sink
  19. march — music
  20. file — a document
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rest — what's left
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — a measure

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