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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: jam · patient · suit · chest · lie · mug · fall · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mug — a face
  4. chest — of your body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. suit — in cards
  8. fine — high quality
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fall — to drop
  11. suit — clothes
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fine — all right
  15. suit — to fit
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. fall — the season
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mug — to rob
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chest — a box
  23. mug — a cup
  24. fall — to drop

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