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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. pass — a permit
  4. last — finally
  5. last — final
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. perch — the fish
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. last — to go on
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. mark — a grade
  20. cell — a phone
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mark — a trace

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