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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. chip — to eat
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. cold — not warm
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. toast — bread
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bore — to drill
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cold — an illness
  16. chip — for betting
  17. present — a gift
  18. suit — to fit
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bore — to tire
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. present — the time now
  23. prune — to trim
  24. present — there

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