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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. suit — to fit
  3. game — wild animals
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. band — a ring
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. season — in sport
  15. suit — clothes
  16. season — of the year
  17. suit — in cards
  18. band — a music group
  19. hand — in cards
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. hand — help
  22. shower — rain
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. game — a match

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