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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
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: file · nail · field · cabinet · mark · patient · mug · stick

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mug — a cup
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. file — a document
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mug — to rob
  14. file — a line of people
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. field — for sport
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a grade
  20. field — a subject
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mug — a face
  23. field — farmland
  24. mark — a trace

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