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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. saw — the tool
  3. net — after costs
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mate — a partner
  6. suit — to fit
  7. fine — all right
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — in biology
  13. spell — a short time
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. spell — letters
  16. saw — the tool
  17. spell — magic
  18. net — in sport
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. cell — a phone
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. suit — clothes
  23. net — for catching
  24. trunk — of a car

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