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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: saw · mouse · leaves · fall · swing · lie · land · scale

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. land — to come down
  3. scale — size or range
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. swing — to play on
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. swing — music
  9. fall — the season
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. fall — to drop
  17. scale — in music
  18. lie — to recline
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fall — to drop
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. swing — in golf

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