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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 116 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: ground · mug · hand · bear · lie · suit

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. ground — a position
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bear — the animal
  7. suit — clothes
  8. ground — the earth
  9. mug — a cup
  10. suit — to fit
  11. hand — help
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bear — the animal
  14. ground — crushed
  15. mug — a face
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. 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