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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: foot · mine · lie · deal · field · tear · coach · wave

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mine — for digging
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. deal — to handle
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. tear — from crying
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — a subject
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. field — for sport
  23. tear — to rip
  24. wave — with your hand

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