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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: mark · lie · firm · rest · land · kick · field · tube

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. tube — a container
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rest — what's left
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. firm — steady
  8. field — farmland
  9. land — to come down
  10. kick — in football
  11. rest — what's left
  12. lie — to recline
  13. firm — decided
  14. rest — a break
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. tube — the underground
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. field — a subject
  22. firm — a company
  23. mark — a grade
  24. field — for sport

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