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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mine — for digging
  6. lie — to recline
  7. suit — clothes
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bound — certain
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — in sport
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. net — for catching
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cabinet — ministers

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