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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. wake — a trail
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fork — in a road
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — a phone
  13. date — the fruit
  14. pound — a weight
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fall — to drop
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bank — for money
  23. fall — the season
  24. date — on the calendar

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