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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 116 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. fine — all right
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. drill — army training
  7. bear — the animal
  8. drill — the tool
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bark — to shout
  12. chair — a leader
  13. fall — to drop
  14. suit — in cards
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fall — the season
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. content — the amount
  19. drill — a practice
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bear — the animal
  24. content — happy

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