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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 112 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  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. suit — in cards
  2. last — finally
  3. suit — clothes
  4. current — happening now
  5. wound — an injury
  6. club — for dancing
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fall — to drop
  9. last — to go on
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wound — an injury
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. club — for golf
  15. fall — to drop
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fall — the season
  18. current — electric
  19. last — final
  20. suit — to fit
  21. club — a group
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. current — of water
  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