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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 120 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. lean — to bend
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. lean — thin
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. land — ground
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. object — an aim
  17. wound — an injury
  18. object — to protest
  19. land — to come down
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — rain
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. object — a thing
  24. wound — an injury

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