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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 · arm · bulb · field · rush · chip · rock

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. field — a subject
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rock — a stone
  7. field — farmland
  8. land — to come down
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rock — music
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rush — hurry
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. chip — for betting
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. field — for sport

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