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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: suit · bear · club · dip · plane · cold · cell · lie

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cell — in biology
  4. plane — a tool
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. suit — in cards
  9. lie — to recline
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — a group
  17. cold — not warm
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. club — for golf
  20. suit — clothes
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bear — the animal
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. suit — to fit

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