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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 · field · spell · staff · cabinet · lie · bay · mug

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. land — a country
  4. lie — to recline
  5. spell — a short time
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mug — a cup
  8. field — for sport
  9. land — to come down
  10. staff — employees
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a face
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. staff — employees
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. staff — a stick
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — magic
  20. field — a subject
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. land — ground
  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