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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: suit · spell · pitcher · cabinet · lie · race · straw · kid

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. spell — a short time
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. kid — child
  7. spell — letters
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. kid — to tease
  11. spell — magic
  12. race — the arms race
  13. suit — in cards
  14. race — a contest
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. race — humankind
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. straw — a straw man

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