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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: file · rash · jam · bear · patient · stand · cabinet · toast

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rash — a series
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. file — a line of people
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bear — the animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — bread
  18. stand — to bear
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. rash — hasty
  21. file — a document
  22. bear — the animal
  23. file — a tool
  24. cabinet — ministers

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