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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: chair · hide · bear · wave · shower · rash · suit · roll

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. shower — to wash
  3. chair — a leader
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. suit — in cards
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rash — hasty
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. suit — clothes
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. shower — rain
  17. roll — a list
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rash — a series
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bear — the animal

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