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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 120 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mate — a partner
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. present — there
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. ground — a position
  12. hand — help
  13. ground — crushed
  14. hand — in cards
  15. present — the time now
  16. mate — a friend
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mate — to breed
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cue — for pool
  21. land — to come down
  22. present — a gift
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. land — a country

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