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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. stand — to bear
  3. suit — clothes
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. club — for dancing
  6. snap — to click
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. drill — army training
  10. club — for golf
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. drill — the tool
  17. fall — the season
  18. club — a group
  19. suit — in cards
  20. drill — a practice
  21. fall — to drop
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mine — belonging to me

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