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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. suit — clothes
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wake — a trail
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. land — a country
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. land — to come down
  14. stand — to bear
  15. suit — to fit
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wind — moving air
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. land — ground
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fan — a supporter
  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