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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: bear · stem · fine · mine · pound · lie · key · spell

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pound — a weight
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. stem — to come from
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. fine — high quality
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mine — for digging
  18. key — in music
  19. spell — letters
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fine — all right
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. lie — to recline
  24. key — for a lock

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