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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rash · date · stick · board · land · leaves · file · patient

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. file — a tool
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rash — hasty
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. file — a document
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. land — a country
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. rash — a series
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — the fruit
  24. patient — a sick person

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