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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 116 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: staff · rest · dip · game · land · pass · deal · mouse

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rest — a break
  4. game — wild animals
  5. staff — employees
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. game — a match
  12. staff — employees
  13. rest — what's left
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. land — to come down
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. land — ground
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mouse — for a computer

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