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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.

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: bowl · scale · lie · leaves · land · club · rest · fan

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rest — what's left
  6. land — to come down
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. land — ground
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. club — for dancing
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. scale — in music
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. club — for golf
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. club — a group
  20. rest — a break
  21. scale — size or range
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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