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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 120 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bear — the animal
  3. staff — a stick
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. field — farmland
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. field — a subject
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. land — a country
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. land — to come down
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. field — for sport
  21. rest — a break
  22. key — for a lock
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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