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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fork — in a road
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. land — to come down
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. saw — the tool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mate — to breed
  22. fall — the season
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mate — a partner

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