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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 · coach · bear · cell · key · firm · shower

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. suit — clothes
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. lie — to recline
  8. shower — to wash
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. firm — decided
  12. cell — in biology
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. shower — rain
  15. key — for a lock
  16. firm — a company
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cell — a phone
  19. firm — steady
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. key — in music
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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