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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: stock · nail · patient · fall · can · fine · file · rash

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — shares
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stock — goods
  6. file — a tool
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fall — the season
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rash — hasty
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a line of people
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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