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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · patient · file · clip · mate · mark · staff · bank

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  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. file — a tool
  2. staff — employees
  3. file — a line of people
  4. staff — employees
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mark — a grade
  9. file — a document
  10. bank — for money
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bank — for money
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. clip — for paper
  15. staff — a stick
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mate — a friend
  18. clip — a video
  19. bank — of a river
  20. clip — to cut
  21. tube — a container
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. tube — the underground
  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