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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: cue · lie · mug · date · land · bear · field · trunk

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bear — the animal
  3. land — ground
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. field — a subject
  7. cue — a signal
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. land — to come down
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mug — a face
  13. field — for sport
  14. mug — a cup
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. land — a country
  21. field — farmland
  22. mug — to rob
  23. date — the fruit
  24. lie — to recline

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