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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mine — for digging
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rest — what's left
  7. root — of a word
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. root — the cause
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. land — a country
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. fall — the season
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. land — to come down
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. land — ground
  23. root — of a plant
  24. fall — to drop

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