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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. suit — clothes
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. fall — the season
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. suit — in cards
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. march — music
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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