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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: lie · mug · land · ground · dip · foot · face · cabinet

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. ground — crushed
  9. dip — to sink
  10. lie — to recline
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. mug — a cup
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ground — the earth
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. face — part of the head
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — to rob
  20. face — to point toward
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. face — to confront
  24. ground — a position

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