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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: patient · jam · pit · cue · rule · file · tear · chest

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. tear — to rip
  5. pit — in a race
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. cue — a signal
  9. chest — a box
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. cue — a hint
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. file — a line of people
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pit — a hole
  19. chest — of your body
  20. file — a document
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. rule — a law
  23. jam — in traffic
  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