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

Word bank: cabinet · mark · mouse · cold · stick · suit · firm · fork

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mark — a grade
  4. firm — a company
  5. suit — to fit
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. firm — decided
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mark — a trace
  11. firm — steady
  12. cold — not warm
  13. suit — clothes
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — in a road
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mouse — for a computer

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