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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: land · mouse · lie · last · squash · mate · perch · ball

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. land — a country
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mate — to breed
  5. last — final
  6. ball — a great time
  7. squash — to crush
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ball — a dance
  11. land — ground
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lie — to recline
  14. last — finally
  15. mate — a partner
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mate — a friend
  20. land — to come down
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. last — to go on
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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