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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — to fit
  3. march — the month
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cap — of ice
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — humankind
  11. cap — a hat
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. race — the arms race
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. suit — in cards
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. cap — a lid
  24. perch — the fish

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