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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.

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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: ground · lie · bear · mine · scale · nail · ball · fan

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ball — a great time
  13. lie — to recline
  14. ball — a dance
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. ground — crushed
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. ground — a position
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bear — the animal

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