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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 120 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. tear — to rip
  5. chair — a leader
  6. race — a contest
  7. craft — boats
  8. race — the arms race
  9. craft — a skill
  10. rest — what's left
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. suit — in cards
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. rest — a break
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chest — of your body
  18. race — humankind
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — a box

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