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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 116 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: tear · field · mine · lie · rule · calf · lean · content

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. tear — to rip
  3. field — for sport
  4. rule — a law
  5. lean — to bend
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. tear — from crying
  10. content — the amount
  11. rule — government
  12. field — farmland
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. mine — for digging
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lean — thin
  21. content — happy
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. tear — from crying
  24. field — a subject

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