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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. lean — thin
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. can — a tin
  6. land — a country
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. board — a committee
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. roll — a cake
  14. lean — to bend
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rest — a break
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. land — to come down
  23. board — to get on
  24. roll — a list

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