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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.

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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: hide · date · roll · land · jam · pop · lie · mouse

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. date — the fruit
  4. lie — to recline
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. roll — a list
  7. land — ground
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pop — music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. roll — a cake
  24. hide — to keep secret

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