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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 · mark · bear · land · roll · net · calf · hand

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mark — a trace
  4. net — after costs
  5. hand — in cards
  6. land — a country
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. roll — a cake
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mark — a grade
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. net — for catching
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. land — ground
  23. lie — to recline
  24. net — in sport

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