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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 116 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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. can — to be able to
  4. swing — to play on
  5. suit — clothes
  6. swing — in golf
  7. can — a tin
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. swing — music
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. suit — in cards
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. can — a tin
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bat — the animal
  23. sharp — clever
  24. patient — a sick person

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