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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — to come down
  3. craft — boats
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rule — a law
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. wax — to grow
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. land — a country
  24. rule — government

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