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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: stick · toast · bass · file · patient · march · rush · lie

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. file — a tool
  3. lie — to recline
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. march — the month
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bass — the fish
  10. march — music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. file — a document
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bass — low music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. march — the month
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — the most admired

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