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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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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: tear · mate · rule · patient · file · pit · cell · cap

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. tear — to rip
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mate — a friend
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rule — government
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mate — a partner
  11. cell — a phone
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pit — in a race
  14. file — a tool
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rule — a law
  17. cell — in biology
  18. file — a document
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cap — a hat
  22. tear — from crying
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. rule — to rule out

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