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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fall — the season
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. net — after costs
  6. mate — to breed
  7. saw — the tool
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mate — a friend
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mate — a partner
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. net — in sport
  20. suit — in cards
  21. net — for catching
  22. sharp — clever
  23. suit — clothes
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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