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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lean — to bend
  3. saw — the tool
  4. land — a country
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. land — to come down
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lean — thin
  15. land — ground
  16. rest — a break
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. saw — the tool
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — a list
  21. rest — what's left
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. roll — on a roll

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