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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 116 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. dip — to sink
  3. spring — a coil
  4. suit — to fit
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. content — the amount
  9. mate — a friend
  10. march — music
  11. bore — to tire
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. spring — of water
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bore — to drill
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mate — to breed
  19. march — the month
  20. spring — the season
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. march — the month
  23. content — happy
  24. fan — to cool the air

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