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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ball — a dance
  3. cell — in biology
  4. land — a country
  5. march — the month
  6. fall — the season
  7. land — to come down
  8. march — music
  9. land — ground
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cell — a phone
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. pass — a permit
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. march — the month
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pass — to spend time

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