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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. stock — shares
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bore — to tire
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. last — finally
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. fall — to drop
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stock — goods
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. suit — in cards
  19. last — final
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bore — to drill
  24. last — to go on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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