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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. mug — a face
  3. object — to protest
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. object — an aim
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. object — a thing
  11. mug — to rob
  12. march — music
  13. stem — to come from
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. spell — magic
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. spell — letters
  23. bound — certain
  24. spell — a short time

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