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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rock — music
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wake — a trail
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. chair — a leader
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — a stone
  15. suit — clothes
  16. shower — rain
  17. suit — in cards
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rush — hurry
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. chair — to sit on

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