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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. object — to protest
  3. hand — help
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. march — the month
  7. object — an aim
  8. march — music
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. march — the month
  12. object — a thing
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. hand — in cards
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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