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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tear · coach · spring · pitcher · lie · arm · foot · suit

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. suit — in cards
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. spring — a coil
  6. tear — from crying
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. foot — a measure
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. suit — to fit
  17. spring — of water
  18. tear — to rip
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. spring — the season
  22. tear — from crying
  23. lie — to recline
  24. suit — clothes

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