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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. fall — the season
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. suit — to fit
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. row — a line
  12. drill — the tool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. drill — army training
  15. hand — help
  16. drill — a practice
  17. fall — to drop
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. suit — clothes
  23. row — to paddle
  24. suit — in cards

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