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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. rush — hurry
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. prune — to trim
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spell — letters
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. spring — the season
  10. suit — clothes
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. charge — a price
  13. stock — shares
  14. charge — in control
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. charge — electricity
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. spring — of water
  23. suit — to fit
  24. trunk — of a tree

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