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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bore — to drill
  8. hand — in cards
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. rest — a break
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rest — what's left
  17. capital — a city
  18. suit — to fit
  19. fine — all right
  20. suit — clothes
  21. fine — high quality
  22. stand — to bear
  23. hand — help
  24. rest — what's left

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