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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cabinet · patient · perch · lash · current · leaves · file · ground

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a document
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — the earth
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. file — a line of people
  10. current — electric
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ground — crushed
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. current — happening now
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. current — of water

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