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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  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 — in cards
  2. suit — clothes
  3. cold — an illness
  4. mine — for digging
  5. staff — employees
  6. can — a tin
  7. suit — to fit
  8. stand — to bear
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. staff — employees
  12. can — a tin
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bore — to tire
  15. can — to be able to
  16. cold — not warm
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. staff — a stick
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. track — to keep track
  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