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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — ground
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. fall — to drop
  9. shower — to wash
  10. fall — to drop
  11. shower — rain
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. land — a country
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fall — the season
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. plane — a tool
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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