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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: suit · bear · row · object · lean · chest · ground · rash

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. chest — of your body
  3. suit — clothes
  4. lean — thin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bear — the animal
  8. object — to protest
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rash — a series
  11. suit — in cards
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. object — a thing
  14. row — to paddle
  15. chest — a box
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. row — a line
  18. lean — to bend
  19. chest — of your body
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. object — an aim
  24. ground — a position

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