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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 120 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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. court — for sport
  3. mug — to rob
  4. spring — a coil
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. file — a document
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. file — a line of people
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. spring — the season
  12. bear — the animal
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. spring — of water
  17. mug — a cup
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. squash — to crush
  21. file — a tool
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. mug — a face
  24. squash — the sport

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