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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 116 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: chair · saw · cabinet · pop · file · squash · patient · bank

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. file — a line of people
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. file — a document
  5. bank — for money
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pop — soda
  8. squash — the sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. file — a tool
  14. bank — for money
  15. chair — a leader
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pop — to visit
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pop — music
  24. bank — of a river

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