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

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wound — an injury
  5. shower — rain
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. lean — thin
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. lean — to bend
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cold — not warm
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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