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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. net — in sport
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. branch — a division
  7. net — for catching
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. suit — clothes
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — happy
  12. mine — for digging
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. drill — the tool
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. net — after costs
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. saw — the tool
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mine — an explosive

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