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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 124 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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. suit — to fit
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. object — a thing
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. object — an aim
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. suit — clothes
  17. object — to protest
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. lean — thin
  23. row — a line
  24. bay — a horse colour

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