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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. rash — a series
  3. stem — to come from
  4. can — a tin
  5. tear — to rip
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. suit — in cards
  10. rash — hasty
  11. game — a match
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. suit — to fit
  15. cue — for pool
  16. can — a tin
  17. cue — a signal
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. cue — a hint
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. toast — bread
  23. game — wild animals
  24. toast — the most admired

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