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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. suit — clothes
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. suit — in cards
  6. press — newspapers
  7. tear — from crying
  8. press — to push
  9. object — to protest
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. object — an aim
  14. bat — the animal
  15. object — a thing
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. rash — a series
  20. kid — child
  21. press — a publisher
  22. kid — to tease
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rash — hasty

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