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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. shower — rain
  3. saw — the tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. mine — for digging
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. land — ground
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. pass — a permit
  13. land — to come down
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. land — a country
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. shower — to wash
  24. can — a tin

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