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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 124 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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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: land · lie · season · calf · object · chip · band · shower

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. season — in sport
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. object — to protest
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. land — to come down
  7. season — of the year
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. object — a thing
  10. band — a music group
  11. shower — rain
  12. object — an aim
  13. band — a ring
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. shower — to wash
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. chip — to eat
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. chip — for betting
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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