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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. last — to go on
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bass — low music
  5. mark — a trace
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bear — the animal
  8. suit — clothes
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pit — in a race
  12. net — for catching
  13. last — final
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. net — after costs
  17. last — finally
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. net — in sport
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. rush — to hurry

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