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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. roll — a list
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. land — ground
  9. roll — a cake
  10. key — the most important part
  11. land — a country
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. land — to come down
  14. saw — the tool
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — in music
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. fan — a supporter

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