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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cap · suit · net · lie · file · patient · key · stick

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cap — a lid
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. suit — in cards
  10. net — after costs
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cap — of ice
  16. key — in music
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lie — to recline
  19. file — a document
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. key — the most important part
  24. lie — an untruth

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