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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. game — a match
  6. suit — in cards
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — a measure
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mate — to breed
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. game — wild animals
  15. mate — a friend
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. ground — the earth
  20. mate — a partner
  21. suit — clothes
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. snap — to click
  24. game — a kind of play

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