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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kid · land · foot · object · craft · wound · lie · ground

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. object — to protest
  3. ground — the earth
  4. craft — boats
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. craft — a skill
  7. object — an aim
  8. land — to come down
  9. lie — to recline
  10. foot — a measure
  11. ground — crushed
  12. kid — child
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. ground — a position
  16. land — a country
  17. wound — an injury
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. kid — to tease
  20. object — a thing
  21. land — ground
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. wound — an injury

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