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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. land — to come down
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. object — a thing
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wound — an injury
  10. object — an aim
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. court — for sport
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. court — of a king
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. object — to protest
  20. court — of law
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. fan — a supporter

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