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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 116 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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. land — to come down
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ground — the earth
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ground — a position
  19. fine — all right
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. fine — high quality
  23. ground — crushed
  24. lean — to rest against

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