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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 116 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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. land — ground
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. shower — to wash
  5. track — a path
  6. land — a country
  7. shower — rain
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. track — a song
  11. rule — a law
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. track — to keep track
  17. land — to come down
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rule — government
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mine — for digging

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