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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. spring — a coil
  4. fall — the season
  5. suit — in cards
  6. present — there
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. present — a gift
  11. net — for catching
  12. bear — the animal
  13. suit — to fit
  14. spring — of water
  15. fall — to drop
  16. spring — the season
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. net — in sport
  20. present — the time now
  21. net — after costs
  22. bear — the animal
  23. lie — to recline
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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