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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. cell — a phone
  3. suit — in cards
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. bound — certain
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to sink
  10. ground — the earth
  11. scale — in music
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. scale — size or range
  14. ground — a position
  15. bound — obliged
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bound — tied together
  19. ground — crushed
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. suit — to fit
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. lie — to recline
  24. net — in sport

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