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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. track — a path
  3. land — to come down
  4. lie — to recline
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. lean — to bend
  12. track — a song
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. track — to keep track
  17. land — a country
  18. kick — in football
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. land — ground
  24. safe — out of danger

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