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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. suit — in cards
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. game — a match
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. spell — letters
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. suit — to fit
  11. spell — a short time
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. root — the cause
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. spell — magic
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. rash — a series
  20. root — of a plant
  21. suit — clothes
  22. root — of a word
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. game — a kind of play

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