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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 116 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. capital — a city
  3. fall — to drop
  4. track — a song
  5. prune — to trim
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lie — to recline
  8. root — of a plant
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — a price
  11. root — the cause
  12. capital — money
  13. track — to keep track
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fall — the season
  16. track — a path
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. root — of a word
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. prune — to trim
  22. charge — electricity
  23. fall — to drop
  24. capital — a big letter

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