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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. row — to paddle
  3. cell — a phone
  4. staff — employees
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. row — a line
  11. staff — a stick
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — to fit

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