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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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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: hand · court · mine · can · suit · foot · lie · bound

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. suit — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. suit — clothes
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bound — certain
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. can — a tin
  13. court — of law
  14. court — for sport
  15. bound — obliged
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. lie — to recline
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. suit — to fit
  21. court — of a king
  22. can — a tin
  23. foot — a measure
  24. lie — an untruth

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