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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. cell — in biology
  3. suit — to fit
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. deal — to handle
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. drill — a practice
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. drill — army training
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — ground
  18. cell — a phone
  19. ground — the earth
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. drill — the tool
  22. land — a country
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. deal — an agreement

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