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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. firm — decided
  3. suit — clothes
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. firm — steady
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. sharp — clever
  10. suit — in cards
  11. cold — an illness
  12. firm — a company
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. cold — not warm
  15. toast — bread
  16. capital — money
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — a big letter

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