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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. club — for golf
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. root — of a plant
  6. land — ground
  7. root — of a word
  8. club — for dancing
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. shower — to wash
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. club — a group
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. land — a country
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. root — the cause
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. rush — hurry
  19. lie — to recline
  20. shower — rain
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. land — to come down
  24. toast — bread

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