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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. hand — help
  6. row — to paddle
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. hand — in cards
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. suit — to fit
  14. row — a line
  15. wake — a trail
  16. suit — in cards
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. last — finally
  20. tube — a container
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. last — to go on
  23. tube — the underground
  24. last — final

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