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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. fall — the season
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mug — a cup
  5. key — for a lock
  6. suit — in cards
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. field — a subject
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fall — to drop
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. key — the most important part
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. perch — the fish
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mug — to rob
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. key — in music
  24. mug — a face

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