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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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. firm — decided
  3. suit — to fit
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. firm — steady
  8. suit — clothes
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. firm — a company
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pitch — completely
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. suit — in cards
  20. craft — boats
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. wake — a trail
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. craft — a skill

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