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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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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: rock · wake · suit · patient · craft · pop · chest · fan

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pop — to visit
  3. chest — a box
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. rock — music
  8. craft — boats
  9. pop — soda
  10. chest — of your body
  11. suit — to fit
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wake — a trail
  14. suit — clothes
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. craft — a skill
  17. suit — in cards
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rock — a stone
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pop — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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