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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.

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: lie · bore · squash · scale · fan · land · spring · cabinet

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. scale — size or range
  10. land — ground
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. scale — in music
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. bore — to tire
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bore — to drill
  22. squash — to crush
  23. spring — a coil
  24. fan — a supporter

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