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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: lie · mine · suit · bound · root · pit · spell · face

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bound — obliged
  5. lie — to recline
  6. spell — magic
  7. root — the cause
  8. suit — to fit
  9. face — part of the head
  10. root — of a word
  11. spell — letters
  12. pit — a hole
  13. suit — in cards
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. root — of a plant
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. mine — for digging
  22. spell — a short time
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pit — in a race

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