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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 120 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: fine · suit · rock · last · fall · chair · snap · patient

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. suit — in cards
  4. fall — to drop
  5. last — finally
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. suit — clothes
  8. last — to go on
  9. snap — to click
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. fine — high quality
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. chair — a leader
  15. last — final
  16. suit — to fit
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. patient — a sick person

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