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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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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: degree · foot · file · hide · patient · fall · cue · bear

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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. degree — from a university
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bear — the animal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fall — the season
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. degree — temperature
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. degree — an amount
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. file — a line of people
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. foot — a measure
  19. cue — for pool
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — a hint
  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