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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 · lie · rule · pit · swing · patient · rush · chair

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. lie — to recline
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pit — in a race
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. swing — music
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. swing — to play on
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. file — a tool
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rush — hurry
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rule — government
  24. swing — in golf

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