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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. roll — a cake
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. suit — to fit
  7. mark — a trace
  8. sharp — clever
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bore — to tire
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bore — to drill
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. can — a tin
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. roll — a list
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. can — a tin
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. can — to be able to

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