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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rest — a break
  7. last — final
  8. bound — certain
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bound — obliged
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. deal — to handle
  16. suit — clothes
  17. rest — what's left
  18. last — finally
  19. last — to go on
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. suit — in cards
  24. rest — what's left

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