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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · bay · mine · bear · cold · lash · suit · prune

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mate — a friend
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mine — for digging
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mate — to breed
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mate — a partner
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. cold — not warm

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