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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. club — for golf
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. craft — boats
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. suit — clothes
  10. cold — not warm
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. suit — to fit
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. club — a group
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cold — an illness
  18. club — for dancing
  19. row — a line
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. craft — a skill
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — to paddle
  24. craft — a handicraft

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