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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · mouse · land · kid · lie · pass · temple · mate

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. land — a country
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pass — a permit
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. club — for dancing
  8. land — to come down
  9. club — for golf
  10. mate — a partner
  11. kid — child
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. kid — to tease
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mate — a friend
  19. lie — to recline
  20. mate — to breed
  21. club — a group
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. land — ground

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