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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. prune — to trim
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. suit — clothes
  16. kick — in football
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. suit — to fit
  19. tube — a container
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. snap — to click
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. kick — a thrill

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