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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mine — for digging
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. land — ground
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. perch — the fish
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. land — to come down
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — crushed
  21. key — the most important part
  22. land — a country
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. perch — for a bird

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