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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. current — of water
  4. land — ground
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. land — to come down
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. land — a country
  10. can — to be able to
  11. object — to protest
  12. date — the fruit
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. object — an aim
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. object — a thing
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. current — happening now
  22. can — a tin
  23. lie — to recline
  24. current — electric

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