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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fall — the season
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fall — to drop
  8. row — a line
  9. row — to paddle
  10. band — a music group
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. suit — to fit
  17. lean — to bend
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. fall — to drop
  20. shower — rain
  21. suit — clothes
  22. lean — thin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. band — a rubber band

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