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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
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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: suit · fan · toast · patient · face · current · cue · bass

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. cue — a hint
  4. face — to confront
  5. bass — low music
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. current — happening now
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. current — electric
  11. cue — for pool
  12. suit — clothes
  13. face — to point toward
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. toast — bread
  17. cue — a signal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. current — of water
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bass — the fish
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fan — a supporter

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