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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · key · club · leaves · lie · land · spring · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. key — for a lock
  3. land — a country
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. land — ground
  7. spring — a coil
  8. lie — to recline
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rest — a break
  11. club — for dancing
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. key — in music
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. spring — the season
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. spring — of water
  19. rest — what's left
  20. key — the most important part
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. stand — for spectators
  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