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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: suit · jam · firm · tube · patient · swing · mark · lean

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. tube — a container
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. tube — the underground
  7. suit — to fit
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — to play on
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mark — a trace
  15. suit — in cards
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. firm — a company
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lean — to bend
  20. swing — music
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. firm — decided
  23. lean — thin
  24. mark — a grade

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