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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 · mate · lean · snap · patient · spell · rest · perch

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rest — what's left
  3. suit — in cards
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. rest — what's left
  8. suit — clothes
  9. lean — to bend
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lean — thin
  12. mate — a friend
  13. perch — the fish
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rest — a break
  16. snap — to click
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mate — to breed
  21. spell — letters
  22. suit — to fit
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. perch — for a bird

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