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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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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wind — moving air
  6. suit — clothes
  7. charge — in control
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. spell — letters
  16. charge — a price
  17. spell — magic
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chest — a box
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. chest — of your body
  22. spell — a short time
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pass — a permit

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