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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: mark · season · mine · kick · foot · mouse · wound · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. foot — a measure
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — ground
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mark — a grade
  14. kick — in football
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. season — of the year
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wound — an injury
  19. season — in sport
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mine — for digging
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. foot — the bottom

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