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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 · present · club · staff · bore · bay · field

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bore — to drill
  3. field — farmland
  4. staff — employees
  5. club — for dancing
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. club — for golf
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bore — to tire
  13. field — a subject
  14. lean — thin
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. field — for sport
  17. staff — a stick
  18. present — there
  19. staff — employees
  20. lie — to recline
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. lean — to rest against

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