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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. mark — a grade
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. suit — in cards
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fork — in a road
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bear — the animal

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