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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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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: pop · snap · land · bear · lie · ruler · bay · net

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. lie — to recline
  4. net — after costs
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pop — music
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. land — a country
  9. snap — to click
  10. land — to come down
  11. net — in sport
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pop — soda
  21. land — ground
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. net — for catching
  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