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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: rock · cabinet · file · hide · sharp · rash · ground · patient

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ground — the earth
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rock — a stone
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. ground — crushed
  13. sharp — clever
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rash — a series
  20. rock — music
  21. rash — hasty
  22. ground — a position
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. sharp — exactly

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