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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. saw — the tool
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rock — music
  7. pass — a permit
  8. fall — to drop
  9. capital — money
  10. land — ground
  11. fall — the season
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. land — a country
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. saw — the tool
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rock — a stone
  23. land — to come down
  24. pass — to spend time

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