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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bound — certain
  4. suit — to fit
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cold — not warm
  9. object — a thing
  10. bound — tied together
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bore — to drill
  13. object — an aim
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cold — an illness
  16. object — to protest
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. bound — obliged
  20. craft — boats
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mark — a trace
  23. craft — a skill
  24. coach — a trainer

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