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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: bay · staff · field · lie · can · bear · fine · snap

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. can — a tin
  3. fine — high quality
  4. can — a tin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. snap — to click
  8. lie — to recline
  9. staff — employees
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. field — for sport
  13. fine — all right
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bear — the animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. staff — a stick
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — farmland

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