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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. land — ground
  3. net — after costs
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. land — to come down
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. hand — in cards
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. net — for catching
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. net — in sport
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mug — to rob
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. land — a country
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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