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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 120 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
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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: bat · rush · patient · file · mouse · stick · stand · content

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. file — a line of people
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bat — the animal
  13. content — happy
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. content — the amount
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. file — a document
  23. rush — hurry
  24. file — a tool

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