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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bat · pit · net · bear · lash · lie · scale

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — in sport
  4. scale — size or range
  5. suit — to fit
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pit — in a race
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bat — the animal
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. net — for catching
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pit — a hole
  23. suit — in cards
  24. lash — to lash out

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