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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: straw · stand · dip · lie · land · toast · field · mark

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. toast — bread
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. land — ground
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. land — a country
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. field — a subject
  11. stand — to bear
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. field — for sport
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. land — to come down
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. field — farmland

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