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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. staff — a stick
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mark — a grade
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. staff — employees
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. roll — a cake
  12. cold — not warm
  13. tube — a container
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bore — to tire
  16. roll — a list
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bore — to drill
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. staff — employees
  23. suit — clothes
  24. tube — the underground

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