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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. hand — help
  3. suit — in cards
  4. lean — to bend
  5. fork — in a road
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. suit — clothes
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. toast — bread
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. hand — in cards
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — the amount
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. suit — to fit
  20. lean — thin
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. content — happy
  24. rash — a series

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