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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 · cabinet · spell · sharp · rash · bay · shower · tube

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. spell — letters
  3. suit — to fit
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. spell — magic
  6. sharp — clever
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. tube — the underground
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tube — a container
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. shower — rain
  19. rash — hasty
  20. suit — clothes
  21. shower — to wash
  22. rash — a series
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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