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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: snap · kick · fall · suit · straw · patient · jam · stand

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. suit — to fit
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fall — the season
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. stand — to bear
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. suit — in cards
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. fall — to drop
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. suit — clothes
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. fall — to drop

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