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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. suit — clothes
  3. branch — a division
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. suit — to fit
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. suit — in cards
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. content — the amount
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. content — happy
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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