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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mate — a partner
  4. suit — clothes
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. mate — a friend
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stock — goods
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. last — finally
  14. bore — to tire
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. current — of water
  18. current — happening now
  19. stock — shares
  20. mate — to breed
  21. current — electric
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — final
  24. snap — to click

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