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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. suit — in cards
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. kid — to tease
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cell — a phone
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rock — music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wax — to grow
  19. suit — clothes
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. kid — child

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