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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 120 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: rest · file · last · can · ground · patient · stock · wound

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. can — a tin
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ground — crushed
  7. last — to go on
  8. rest — what's left
  9. last — finally
  10. rest — a break
  11. last — final
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. can — a tin
  19. stock — goods
  20. can — to be able to
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stock — shares
  24. file — a document

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