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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 120 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. game — a match
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. game — wild animals
  9. saw — the tool
  10. land — to come down
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bear — the animal
  13. land — ground
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bear — the animal
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. land — a country
  18. saw — the tool
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. last — final
  21. rash — a series
  22. suit — clothes
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — finally

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