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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. shower — rain
  3. board — to get on
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. row — to paddle
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wake — a trail
  8. row — a line
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. hand — in cards
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. board — a committee
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. suit — to fit
  24. shower — to wash

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