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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: can · lie · saw · field · staff · ground · bear · cabinet

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. staff — employees
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bear — the animal
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — the earth
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. field — for sport
  18. ground — crushed
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. field — a subject
  22. staff — employees
  23. field — farmland
  24. bear — the animal

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