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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.

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: mug · dip · lie · land · racket · chest · club · mouse

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. land — ground
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. club — for golf
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. mug — to rob
  10. land — to come down
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. club — for dancing
  14. land — a country
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. dip — to sink
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. club — a group
  24. lie — an untruth

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