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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. staff — employees
  5. field — farmland
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. staff — a stick
  12. capital — money
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. capital — a city
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. staff — employees
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. suit — clothes
  22. field — a subject
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. field — for sport

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