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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: mouse · land · stem · bowl · object · wound · mug · hide

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. land — ground
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. object — an aim
  7. land — to come down
  8. stem — to come from
  9. land — a country
  10. object — a thing
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — a face
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mug — to rob
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. object — to protest
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stem — a stem cell

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