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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. race — a contest
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. suit — in cards
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rock — a stone
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. foot — a measure
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. race — humankind
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. hand — in cards
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. race — the arms race
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rock — music

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