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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. spring — of water
  4. season — of the year
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. lean — to bend
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. lean — thin
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. file — a line of people
  15. land — to come down
  16. season — in sport
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. land — a country
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. file — a document
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. file — a tool

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