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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: patient · row · lie · jam · content · stick · file · scale

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. content — the amount
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. file — a line of people
  7. row — a line
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. content — happy
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. file — a document
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lie — to recline
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. file — a tool
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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