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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. mark — a trace
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. snap — to click
  10. mark — a grade
  11. suit — to fit
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. stand — to bear
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. suit — clothes

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