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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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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: staff · bore · bank · patient · wake · file · rule · snap

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bank — for money
  3. rule — government
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bank — for money
  8. file — a tool
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. staff — employees
  15. file — a document
  16. rule — a law
  17. wake — a trail
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bank — of a river
  21. snap — to click
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bore — to tire
  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