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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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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 · wake · land · mark · tube · bound · bay · dip

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bound — tied together
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wake — a trail
  6. tube — a container
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. land — ground
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bound — certain
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. land — to come down
  23. lie — to recline
  24. tube — in a tire

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