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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · rock · bay · rash · perch · suit · saw · race

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rock — music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. saw — the tool
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. suit — clothes
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. race — a contest
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rock — a stone
  22. race — humankind
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. suit — in cards

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