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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: hand · firm · bay · key · lie · chip · stem · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. hand — help
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. land — ground
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. firm — a company
  15. chip — to eat
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. firm — steady
  21. land — to come down
  22. stem — to come from
  23. key — for a lock
  24. firm — decided

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