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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: kick · firm · land · lie · bank · drill · mate · staff

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. land — a country
  3. staff — employees
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. mate — a partner
  6. firm — a company
  7. kick — in football
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — steady
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. drill — the tool
  14. land — ground
  15. mate — a friend
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. drill — army training
  18. mate — to breed
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bank — for money
  21. land — to come down
  22. bank — for money
  23. drill — a practice
  24. lie — to recline

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