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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. staff — employees
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. capital — money
  13. suit — to fit
  14. mine — for digging
  15. staff — employees
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. staff — a stick
  22. capital — a city
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. suit — clothes

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