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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: stand · lie · board · ground · spell · mine · dip · fine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. ground — crushed
  3. spell — magic
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. fine — high quality
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. stand — to bear
  11. fine — all right
  12. dip — to sink
  13. spell — a short time
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mine — for digging
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. board — a committee
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. ground — a position
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. lie — to recline
  24. spell — letters

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