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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. object — an aim
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. spring — a coil
  5. shower — rain
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. land — to come down
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. object — a thing
  13. spring — the season
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rush — hurry
  17. object — to protest
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. spring — of water
  20. land — a country
  21. lean — to bend
  22. shower — to wash
  23. lean — thin
  24. mouse — the animal

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