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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. spring — the season
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wind — moving air
  5. suit — in cards
  6. track — a path
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fine — high quality
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bore — to tire
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. track — a song
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. spring — a coil
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fine — all right
  21. wind — moving air
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. spring — of water
  24. bore — gave birth

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