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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. track — a path
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mate — a partner
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. track — to keep track
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. squash — to crush
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fine — all right
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fine — high quality
  21. track — a song
  22. mate — a friend
  23. land — a country
  24. nail — for a hammer

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