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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 · foot · mine · stick · pass · can · land · shower

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. land — a country
  3. can — a tin
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mine — for digging
  11. shower — to wash
  12. land — to come down
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. land — ground
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. shower — rain
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. foot — a measure

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