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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: saw · toast · stick · lie · spell · suit · bay · dip

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. saw — the tool
  4. spell — magic
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. suit — clothes
  8. toast — bread
  9. suit — in cards
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. lie — to recline
  12. suit — to fit
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. spell — letters
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. dip — to sink
  21. spell — a short time
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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