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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.

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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: stick · file · nail · staff · mark · last · cell · patient

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. cell — in biology
  3. last — finally
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. last — final
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cell — a phone
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. last — to go on
  12. staff — employees
  13. file — a line of people
  14. staff — employees
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. file — a document
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mark — a grade
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. staff — a stick
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mark — a trace

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