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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. land — ground
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. foot — a measure
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. land — to come down
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. root — of a word
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. land — a country
  12. last — finally
  13. last — to go on
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. last — final
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. branch — a division
  23. fork — in a road
  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