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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mine — for digging
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. game — a match
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. suit — to fit
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pop — soda
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pop — music
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pop — to visit

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