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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. land — ground
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. staff — a stick
  5. suit — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. hand — help
  11. cue — for pool
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. wake — a trail
  15. land — to come down
  16. staff — employees
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. ground — crushed
  19. land — a country
  20. staff — employees
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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