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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.

Make a worksheet

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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. land — ground
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bass — low music
  6. track — a song
  7. land — a country
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bass — the fish
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. track — to keep track
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. saw — the tool
  17. track — a path
  18. perch — the fish
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cabinet — ministers

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