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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wake — a trail
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. chest — of your body
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. suit — to fit
  24. rest — what's left

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