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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. land — a country
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. ground — a position
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. land — ground
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. content — the amount
  10. wake — a trail
  11. content — happy
  12. land — to come down
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. season — of the year
  15. snap — to click
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. season — in sport
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ground — crushed
  24. lie — an untruth

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