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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. last — final
  3. last — to go on
  4. stand — to bear
  5. suit — to fit
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. rush — hurry
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. degree — an amount
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. bear — the animal
  17. plane — a tool
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. degree — temperature
  21. last — finally
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pop — to visit
  24. degree — from a university

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