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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. kick — in football
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. land — ground
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. last — final
  12. last — finally
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ball — a great time
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ball — a dance
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. chair — a leader

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