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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · lie · cell · swing · mine · can · suit · pound

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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. swing — music
  4. suit — to fit
  5. mine — for digging
  6. suit — in cards
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. swing — in golf
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — a phone
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pound — a weight
  19. swing — to play on
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mine — belonging to me

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