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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. ground — the earth
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. land — a country
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. land — to come down
  9. fine — all right
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mine — for digging
  14. land — ground
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. ground — a position

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