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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. suit — clothes
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. suit — to fit
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bark — to shout
  14. spring — the season
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. squash — the sport
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fine — all right
  23. spring — of water
  24. mine — for digging

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