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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'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. tube — the underground
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mate — a friend
  5. tube — a container
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. march — the month
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. net — after costs
  10. march — music
  11. mate — to breed
  12. spell — magic
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. net — in sport
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. net — for catching
  17. spell — letters
  18. suit — in cards
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. suit — clothes
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. march — the month
  23. mate — a partner
  24. spell — a short time

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