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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. kick — in football
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. lie — to recline
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. land — to come down
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — finally
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. saw — the tool
  18. last — final
  19. ball — a dance
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. land — ground
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. ball — a great time
  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