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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. hand — help
  6. suit — to fit
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. hand — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. content — the amount
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. content — happy
  20. rock — music
  21. wind — moving air
  22. date — the fruit
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. wind — moving air

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