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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.

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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: present · land · rest · lie · mouse · cap · craft · object

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cap — a hat
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rest — a break
  5. present — there
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. land — ground
  9. present — the time now
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. cap — of ice
  12. present — a gift
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. object — an aim
  15. lie — to recline
  16. craft — a skill
  17. land — a country
  18. object — a thing
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. land — to come down
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. craft — boats
  23. cap — a lid
  24. object — to protest

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