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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: deal · stand · charge · ground · stem · bear · lie · land

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. land — to come down
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. charge — electricity
  7. land — ground
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. ground — a position
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bear — the animal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. ground — crushed
  17. stem — to come from
  18. ground — the earth
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. land — a country
  22. charge — in control
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stem — of a plant

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