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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · lean · wake · cabinet · pit · suit · patient · scale

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. pit — in a race
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. suit — in cards
  6. lean — thin
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. suit — clothes
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. suit — to fit
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. lean — to bend
  17. wake — a trail
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pit — a hole
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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