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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: cabinet · suit · wound · lie · perch · bore · ground · land

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. suit — in cards
  4. ground — a position
  5. wound — an injury
  6. land — ground
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. land — a country
  10. ground — crushed
  11. suit — to fit
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. lie — to recline
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. perch — the fish
  22. land — to come down
  23. wound — an injury
  24. suit — clothes

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