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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 120 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: cell · kid · cue · lie · perch · suit · lean · can

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. lean — thin
  3. can — a tin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. kid — child
  8. cue — a hint
  9. lie — to recline
  10. cue — for pool
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cell — in biology
  13. can — to be able to
  14. suit — clothes
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. can — a tin
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. suit — in cards
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cell — a phone
  22. suit — to fit
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. cell — in a prison

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