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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fine — high quality
  3. land — to come down
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. wound — an injury
  7. season — of the year
  8. bank — of a river
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. land — ground
  11. bank — for money
  12. season — in sport
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. lean — thin
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. hand — in cards
  18. land — a country
  19. bank — for money
  20. hand — help
  21. fine — all right
  22. lean — to bend
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. wound — an injury

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