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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. suit — in cards
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rest — what's left
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rest — a break
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fine — all right
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. suit — clothes
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. fine — high quality
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. patient — a sick person

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