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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pop — soda
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. shower — rain
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. suit — clothes
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pop — music
  11. suit — to fit
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rush — hurry
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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