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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fall — to drop
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. current — electric
  6. suit — to fit
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stand — to bear
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. suit — clothes
  20. fall — the season
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ball — a great time

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