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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 · patient · nail · safe · perch · chest · lie · mouse

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. file — a tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. perch — the fish
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. file — a document
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chest — of your body
  24. file — a line of people

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