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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 · lie · ground · rash · fan · patient · stick · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. ground — crushed
  4. tube — a container
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rash — hasty
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. tube — the underground
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. lie — to recline
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. file — a document

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