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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. kid — child
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. fall — to drop
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. kid — to tease
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lean — thin
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. fall — the season
  20. suit — clothes
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. saw — the tool
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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