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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: lie · suit · cell · bat · key · rash · stand · foot

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. key — the most important part
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rash — hasty
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — a phone
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stand — to bear
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. key — in music
  17. suit — clothes
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. key — for a lock
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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