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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. ground — the earth
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mug — a face
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. suit — to fit
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. mate — a friend
  12. rock — a stone
  13. mate — to breed
  14. cold — an illness
  15. row — to paddle
  16. cold — not warm
  17. ground — a position
  18. row — a line
  19. suit — clothes
  20. mug — to rob
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. ground — crushed
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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