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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 124 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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. land — a country
  5. ground — the earth
  6. can — to be able to
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. land — to come down
  11. squash — to crush
  12. can — a tin
  13. ground — a position
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. sharp — clever
  20. toast — bread
  21. can — a tin
  22. squash — the sport
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. ground — crushed

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