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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. land — a country
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. land — ground
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. firm — decided
  9. lie — to recline
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. land — to come down
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — electricity
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. cold — not warm
  18. firm — a company
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cold — an illness
  21. firm — steady
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. season — of the year
  24. cold — the Cold War

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