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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — to fit
  3. spring — of water
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. spring — the season
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. drill — the tool
  13. object — to protest
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — the animal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. object — an aim
  20. spring — a coil
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. object — a thing
  24. suit — in cards

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