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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. last — final
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chip — for betting
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chest — of your body
  13. spring — a coil
  14. craft — a skill
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. spring — the season
  17. last — to go on
  18. chest — of your body
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. spring — of water
  21. chest — a box
  22. last — finally
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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