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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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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 · cell · arm · bound · sharp · hand · suit · pitch

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. lie — to recline
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bound — obliged
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. hand — in cards
  12. pitch — completely
  13. suit — clothes
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cell — a phone
  16. suit — to fit
  17. cell — in biology
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. suit — in cards
  22. hand — help
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bound — certain

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