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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. object — to protest
  3. hand — in cards
  4. present — there
  5. hand — help
  6. bound — certain
  7. suit — in cards
  8. season — of the year
  9. row — to paddle
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. suit — clothes
  12. row — a line
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — tied together
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. present — the time now
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — an aim
  20. present — a gift
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — in sport
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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