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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 120 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. firm — decided
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. firm — steady
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. perch — the fish
  11. hand — in cards
  12. wake — a trail
  13. charge — a price
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — in cards
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. firm — a company
  24. kid — child

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