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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — clothes
  3. file — a document
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. file — a tool
  7. kid — child
  8. rest — what's left
  9. kid — to tease
  10. stand — to bear
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. file — a line of people
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rest — a break
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. press — to push
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rest — what's left
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. suit — to fit

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