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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: spell · land · firm · mouse · lie · stand · kid · field

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. field — a subject
  3. lie — to recline
  4. spell — a short time
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. field — for sport
  9. firm — decided
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. field — farmland
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. land — to come down
  15. firm — a company
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. kid — child
  19. land — a country
  20. spell — magic
  21. firm — steady
  22. spell — letters
  23. stand — to bear
  24. land — ground

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