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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: spring · game · row · lie · land · club · dip · suit

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. row — to paddle
  3. land — to come down
  4. dip — to sink
  5. game — wild animals
  6. suit — clothes
  7. club — for dancing
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. club — a group
  10. row — a line
  11. spring — of water
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. suit — to fit
  14. club — for golf
  15. suit — in cards
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. lie — to recline
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — a coil

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