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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. wind — moving air
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. wind — moving air
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. can — a tin
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bear — the animal
  14. club — for golf
  15. can — a tin
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — a group
  20. last — finally
  21. last — to go on
  22. bear — the animal
  23. can — to be able to
  24. cell — a phone

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