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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: bear · wave · can · hand · chair · date · roll · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. date — the fruit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bear — the animal
  6. hand — in cards
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. suit — clothes
  16. roll — a list
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. can — a tin
  19. chair — a leader
  20. can — a tin
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. hand — help
  23. can — to be able to
  24. hand — part of the body

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