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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 120 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: calf · stand · land · pound · leaves · spell · scale · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. land — a country
  4. scale — in music
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. spell — letters
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. land — ground
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. spell — magic
  12. scale — size or range
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — a weight
  17. lie — to recline
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. land — to come down
  22. stand — to bear
  23. spell — a short time
  24. lie — an untruth

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