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

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. can — a tin
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. can — to be able to
  8. stand — to bear
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. can — a tin
  15. sharp — clever
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — to wash

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