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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. suit — in cards
  16. rash — hasty
  17. scale — size or range
  18. suit — clothes
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. scale — in music
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rash — a series
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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