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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. ground — a position
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. row — to paddle
  6. ground — the earth
  7. hand — in cards
  8. land — ground
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. land — a country
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. hand — help
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. land — to come down
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. ground — crushed
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. row — a line

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