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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pit — a hole
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. last — finally
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. last — final
  14. pit — in a race
  15. last — to go on
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bear — the animal
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bear — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bear — to put up with

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