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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — a country
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. lean — thin
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. game — wild animals
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. land — to come down
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. deal — to handle
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. game — a match
  24. lean — to bend

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