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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bound — tied together
  3. wake — a trail
  4. craft — a skill
  5. track — a path
  6. staff — a stick
  7. band — a music group
  8. staff — employees
  9. bound — certain
  10. staff — employees
  11. band — a ring
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bound — obliged
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. track — a song

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