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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. can — a tin
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. suit — in cards
  5. can — a tin
  6. spell — a short time
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rash — a series
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stock — goods
  13. rash — hasty
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bore — to tire
  17. spell — magic
  18. stock — shares
  19. season — in sport
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. spell — letters
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bore — to drill

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