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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. land — ground
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. suit — clothes
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. sharp — clever
  9. deal — to handle
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. stem — to come from
  12. land — to come down
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. suit — in cards
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. land — a country
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pass — a permit
  24. dip — to sink

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