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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. mate — a friend
  3. can — a tin
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mate — a partner
  6. hand — help
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. saw — the tool
  9. net — in sport
  10. can — to be able to
  11. tube — a container
  12. mine — for digging
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mate — to breed
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. hand — in cards
  19. can — a tin
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — after costs
  22. suit — clothes
  23. saw — the tool
  24. suit — to fit

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