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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 116 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
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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: mark · present · tear · pitch · lie · land · staff · mate

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. tear — to rip
  3. staff — employees
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mate — a friend
  6. tear — from crying
  7. staff — employees
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — there
  10. land — ground
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mark — a grade
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mark — a trace
  15. lie — to recline
  16. land — a country
  17. present — the time now
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. staff — a stick
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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