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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. can — a tin
  3. land — a country
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. can — a tin
  6. prune — to trim
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — to handle
  10. suit — clothes
  11. land — to come down
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bore — to tire
  17. land — ground
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bore — to drill
  23. can — to be able to
  24. prune — to trim

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