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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. wake — a trail
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. hand — help
  8. suit — in cards
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. rash — a series
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. object — an aim
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — to fit
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a city

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