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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · ground · last · pop · deal · stick · mine · wound

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pop — soda
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. ground — the earth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. last — finally
  9. lie — to recline
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pop — to visit
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. ground — a position
  21. pop — music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ground — crushed
  24. wound — an injury

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