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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: lie · lean · land · deal · press · root · date · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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 — a short time
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. land — to come down
  7. press — a publisher
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lie — to recline
  11. date — the fruit
  12. land — ground
  13. spell — magic
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. press — newspapers
  16. deal — to handle
  17. spell — letters
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. lean — thin
  22. press — to push
  23. lean — to bend
  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