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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.

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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. mug — a cup
  3. spring — a coil
  4. suit — in cards
  5. board — a committee
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. row — to paddle
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. lean — thin
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. prune — to trim
  17. spring — of water
  18. row — a line
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. board — to get on
  23. spring — the season
  24. suit — to fit

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