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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. drill — a practice
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. swing — to play on
  6. band — a music group
  7. suit — to fit
  8. band — a ring
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. suit — clothes
  11. drill — the tool
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. swing — music
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. spring — of water
  16. drill — army training
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. spring — the season
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. spring — a coil

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