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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bore — to tire
  4. suit — clothes
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. net — after costs
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. net — in sport
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cap — of ice
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cap — a hat
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wind — moving air
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. net — for catching
  24. cap — a lid

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