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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 120 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.

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: chest · suit · bay · mine · ball · cap · tube · land

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. cap — of ice
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. land — ground
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. suit — in cards
  9. ball — a great time
  10. tube — a container
  11. cap — a hat
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. suit — to fit
  17. land — a country
  18. chest — a box
  19. land — to come down
  20. chest — of your body
  21. suit — clothes
  22. cap — a lid
  23. chest — of your body
  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