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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: land · mark · spell · lie · press · field · bay · bass

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. press — to push
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bass — low music
  8. spell — magic
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. land — ground
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — a subject
  20. land — to come down
  21. field — for sport
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. spell — a short time
  24. land — a country

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