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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: firm · suit · lash · lie · racket · bound · cold · bear

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. bound — obliged
  2. cold — not warm
  3. suit — clothes
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. firm — steady
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. cold — an illness
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. bound — certain
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. firm — a company
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bound — tied together
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bear — the animal
  18. suit — in cards
  19. firm — decided
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. racket — for tennis
  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