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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
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: wake · pitcher · straw · kick · lie · suit · band · patient

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. suit — in cards
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. band — a ring
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wake — a trail
  15. suit — clothes
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. kick — in football
  18. band — a music group
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. lie — to recline
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. wake — before a funeral

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