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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.

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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 · mouse · spring · ball · stand · degree · lie · wind

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. degree — from a university
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. degree — temperature
  10. wind — moving air
  11. suit — to fit
  12. spring — of water
  13. suit — in cards
  14. spring — the season
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. degree — an amount
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spring — a coil

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