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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stick · land · lie · leaves · net · capital

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. net — for catching
  8. lie — to recline
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. capital — money
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. capital — a city
  13. land — ground
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. lie — an untruth

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