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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. mate — to breed
  3. band — a ring
  4. dip — to sink
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. mate — a partner
  8. row — a line
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — crushed
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. suit — in cards
  14. lean — to bend
  15. ground — the earth
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pit — in a race
  18. band — a music group
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. suit — clothes
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. lean — thin
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pit — a hole

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