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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. net — in sport
  3. suit — in cards
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. march — music
  7. net — after costs
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wake — a trail
  16. shower — to wash
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. net — for catching
  19. shower — rain
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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