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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 124 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. pit — in a race
  4. last — finally
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wake — a trail
  7. suit — to fit
  8. branch — a division
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. can — a tin
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mate — a friend
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. last — final
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. can — a tin
  21. mate — a partner
  22. can — to be able to
  23. last — to go on
  24. lie — an untruth

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