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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. land — a country
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. firm — steady
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. firm — a company
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. game — wild animals
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rest — what's left
  18. land — ground
  19. firm — decided
  20. kick — in football
  21. land — to come down
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rest — a break
  24. mouse — the animal

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