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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. tear — from crying
  3. firm — steady
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. firm — a company
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. firm — decided
  11. branch — a division
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. pit — in a race
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rule — a law
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. rule — government
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. tear — to rip
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pit — a hole

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