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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mate — a partner
  7. wound — an injury
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wound — an injury
  14. track — a song
  15. bulb — for light
  16. track — a path
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mate — a friend
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mate — to breed
  23. suit — in cards
  24. track — to keep track

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