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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. chair — a leader
  4. suit — in cards
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. hand — help
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. hand — in cards
  11. land — to come down
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. track — a path
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. track — a song
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. suit — clothes
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. track — to keep track
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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