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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: fan · trunk · foot · suit · bound · lie · dip · cell

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cell — in biology
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. lie — to recline
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. foot — a measure
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bound — tied together
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. cell — a phone
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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