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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: perch · fall · tube · patient · date · suit · lash · can

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — to fit
  3. can — a tin
  4. tube — a container
  5. perch — the fish
  6. fall — the season
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. fall — to drop
  9. can — to be able to
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. tube — the underground
  13. can — a tin
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. date — the fruit
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. fall — to drop
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. suit — in cards

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