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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 124 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. rest — a break
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. file — a tool
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. suit — clothes
  11. content — happy
  12. file — a line of people
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rest — what's left
  17. file — a document
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. plane — a tool
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. content — the amount
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. plane — an aircraft

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