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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.

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: mine · current · lie · dip · field · date · land · hide

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. current — happening now
  3. lie — to recline
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. date — the fruit
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. field — a subject
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. mine — for digging
  15. field — farmland
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. land — a country
  19. land — to come down
  20. dip — to sink
  21. field — for sport
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. land — ground
  24. date — on the calendar

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