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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 116 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
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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 · spring · band · mine · bowl · last · chair · suit

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. spring — a coil
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. band — a ring
  11. suit — to fit
  12. spring — the season
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. chair — a leader
  15. lie — to recline
  16. spring — of water
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. band — a music group
  19. last — final
  20. suit — clothes
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. last — finally
  24. last — to go on

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