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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. suit — to fit
  3. mine — for digging
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bore — to tire
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bank — for money
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bank — for money
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. file — a document
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. chair — a leader
  18. can — a tin
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bank — of a river
  21. can — a tin
  22. file — a line of people
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. file — a tool

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