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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. lean — to bend
  3. hand — in cards
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spring — a coil
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. staff — employees
  9. suit — in cards
  10. lean — thin
  11. hand — help
  12. spring — of water
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. spring — the season
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. suit — clothes
  17. mark — a grade
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. staff — employees
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. staff — a stick
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mark — a trace

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