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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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Word bank
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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: nail · net · game · prune · suit · cold · roll · bear

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. suit — clothes
  6. net — for catching
  7. bear — the animal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. roll — a list
  10. net — in sport
  11. suit — in cards
  12. cold — not warm
  13. prune — to trim
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. roll — a cake
  20. net — after costs
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. game — a match
  24. suit — to fit

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