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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 120 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: suit · wound · chair · lie · file · spring · ball · saw

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. file — a line of people
  5. spring — the season
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. suit — clothes
  10. file — a document
  11. suit — to fit
  12. file — a tool
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ball — a dance
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lie — to recline
  21. chair — a leader
  22. spring — a coil
  23. suit — in cards
  24. saw — the tool

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