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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stand — to bear
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. land — a country
  10. bat — the animal
  11. suit — in cards
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mate — a partner
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pop — soda
  18. land — to come down
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pop — music
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. land — ground
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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