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

Word bank: suit · mug · wake · patient · tear · last · file · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. suit — clothes
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. last — to go on
  6. cell — a phone
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wake — a trail
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. mug — to rob
  13. last — final
  14. tear — from crying
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. file — a tool
  18. suit — to fit
  19. mug — a face
  20. last — finally
  21. mug — a cup
  22. file — a document
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. file — a line of people

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