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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bat — the animal
  4. key — in music
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. wind — moving air
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bear — the animal
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. key — for a lock
  12. tube — a container
  13. bear — the animal
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. key — the most important part
  17. wind — moving air
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. suit — in cards

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