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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. lie — to recline
  3. cold — not warm
  4. mate — a partner
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mate — to breed
  7. can — a tin
  8. foot — a measure
  9. prune — to trim
  10. suit — in cards
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mate — a friend
  14. can — a tin
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. cold — an illness
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. can — to be able to
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. prune — to trim

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