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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wake — a trail
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. tube — the underground
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cold — an illness
  17. row — to paddle
  18. tube — a container
  19. row — a line
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wake — before a funeral

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