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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: mouse · lean · bear · coach · land · deal · band · mine

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. band — a music group
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. mine — for digging
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. land — ground
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. band — a ring
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. land — to come down
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. mine — an explosive

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