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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. mug — a face
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mug — to rob
  9. drill — a practice
  10. band — a ring
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. drill — army training
  16. lean — thin
  17. drill — the tool
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. suit — in cards
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. suit — clothes
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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