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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. season — in sport
  4. ground — a position
  5. land — a country
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. lie — to recline
  8. land — to come down
  9. craft — a skill
  10. cue — for pool
  11. ground — the earth
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. craft — boats
  14. cue — a hint
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. rush — hurry
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. ground — crushed
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. can — to be able to
  24. cue — a signal

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