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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: bear · shower · patient · pass · swing · file · lie · chest

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bear — the animal
  4. shower — rain
  5. swing — music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. swing — to play on
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. file — a tool
  12. pass — a permit
  13. chest — of your body
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. chest — a box
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. swing — in golf
  21. file — a document
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. chest — of your body

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