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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 120 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. track — a song
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. squash — to crush
  7. board — to get on
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. board — a committee
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. land — ground
  14. swing — to play on
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. squash — the sport
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. track — a path
  21. land — to come down
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lie — to recline
  24. arm — a part of something

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