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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
468
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: lie · foot · row · key · coach · stick · land · mine

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mine — for digging
  3. row — a line
  4. key — the most important part
  5. land — a country
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. land — ground
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. key — in music
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. land — to come down
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. foot — a measure
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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