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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. face — to point toward
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. face — to confront
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. face — part of the head
  13. land — ground
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mine — for digging
  17. row — to paddle
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stand — to bear
  21. land — to come down
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. row — a line

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