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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: suit · pitch · bound · bowl · hide · lie · cabinet · kick

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. suit — clothes
  5. lie — to recline
  6. kick — in football
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bound — certain
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bound — tied together
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. suit — to fit
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pitch — completely
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bowl — a dish

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