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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. key — the most important part
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. present — the time now
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. present — a gift
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. present — there
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. land — to come down
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. key — for a lock
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. land — a country
  23. key — in music
  24. pitcher — a jug

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