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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. suit — in cards
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mark — a trace
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rash — hasty
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mark — a grade
  11. suit — clothes
  12. rash — a series
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pop — soda
  16. suit — to fit
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pop — music
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. chest — a box
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — thin

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