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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. suit — clothes
  4. lean — to bend
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. object — a thing
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — the arms race
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. suit — to fit
  12. object — to protest
  13. shower — rain
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. race — a contest
  17. hand — in cards
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mine — for digging
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. object — an aim
  22. lean — thin
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hand — part of the body

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