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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. suit — in cards
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. row — to paddle
  6. mug — a face
  7. can — a tin
  8. mug — to rob
  9. row — a line
  10. hand — help
  11. mug — a cup
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. suit — clothes
  18. game — a match
  19. can — a tin
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. hand — in cards
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wind — moving air

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