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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: cue · lie · tear · fan · last · land · coach · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. last — finally
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. tear — to rip
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. tear — from crying
  11. land — ground
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. last — final
  16. ground — crushed
  17. land — a country
  18. cue — a signal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. ground — the earth
  21. last — to go on
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lie — to recline
  24. land — to come down

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