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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. ball — a great time
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rash — hasty
  6. suit — clothes
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. hand — in cards
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rash — a series
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. suit — in cards
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hand — help
  21. perch — the fish
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. ball — a round shape

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