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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. net — after costs
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. suit — in cards
  6. mug — a face
  7. bore — to drill
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. net — for catching
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. net — in sport
  16. mug — to rob
  17. charge — in control
  18. tube — a container
  19. kid — child
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mug — a cup
  23. charge — a price
  24. suit — clothes

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