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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bear — the animal
  4. suit — clothes
  5. tube — the underground
  6. file — a tool
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. mark — a grade
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. tube — a container
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. object — an aim
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. snap — to click
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bear — the animal
  20. object — to protest
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. object — a thing
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a document

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