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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. mug — a cup
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. saw — the tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. lie — to recline
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. spring — a coil
  10. net — in sport
  11. plane — a tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. net — for catching
  14. suit — in cards
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. spring — of water
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mug — a face
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. spring — the season
  22. net — after costs
  23. suit — clothes
  24. mug — to rob

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