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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. pit — a hole
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — rain
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. game — wild animals
  12. kid — child
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. game — a match
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pit — in a race
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. shower — to wash
  24. lie — to recline

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