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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: mark · kick · drill · land · temple · fine · lie · mine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mark — a trace
  5. lie — to recline
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. land — ground
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. land — to come down
  10. mine — for digging
  11. drill — the tool
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. mark — a grade
  14. drill — a practice
  15. kick — in football
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. drill — army training
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fine — all right
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. land — a country
  24. temple — a place of worship

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