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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. mark — a trace
  3. suit — clothes
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mark — a grade
  11. snap — to click
  12. plane — a tool
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. date — the fruit
  24. suit — to fit

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