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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. suit — in cards
  3. fork — in a road
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. cue — a hint
  7. suit — to fit
  8. cue — for pool
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. wound — an injury
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. suit — clothes
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. toast — bread
  20. season — of the year
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lean — to bend
  23. cue — a signal
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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