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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rule — a law
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. spell — letters
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. field — farmland
  14. firm — a company
  15. field — for sport
  16. firm — steady
  17. spell — magic
  18. rule — government
  19. firm — decided
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. field — a subject
  24. bay — to keep at bay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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