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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. suit — in cards
  3. prune — to trim
  4. band — a music group
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. suit — clothes
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. prune — to trim
  11. present — a gift
  12. band — a ring
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. suit — to fit
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. content — the amount
  18. stand — to bear
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. content — happy
  23. present — there
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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