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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 120 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: mouse · land · safe · capital · lash · can · lie · file

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. file — a document
  6. land — ground
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. can — to be able to
  10. land — to come down
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. capital — money
  17. can — a tin
  18. file — a tool
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. file — a line of people
  21. can — a tin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. land — a country

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