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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 116 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.

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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: game · wound · lie · key · drill · mouse · rash · land

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rash — a series
  4. land — ground
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. game — wild animals
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. land — a country
  9. drill — the tool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. key — in music
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. land — to come down
  16. wound — an injury
  17. key — the most important part
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rash — hasty
  20. key — for a lock
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — army training
  24. game — a match

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