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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. last — finally
  4. lean — thin
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. suit — clothes
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. dip — to sink
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mark — a trace
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. mark — a grade
  15. last — final
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. band — a ring
  18. bore — to drill
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. last — to go on
  24. band — a music group

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