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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. object — an aim
  13. lie — to recline
  14. object — a thing
  15. land — to come down
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. object — to protest
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mine — for digging
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. deal — a big deal

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