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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pass · wake · board · fork · mug · file · date

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. fork — in a road
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. board — a committee
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mug — a cup
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mug — a face
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. mug — to rob
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. board — to get on

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