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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. track — to keep track
  6. kick — in football
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. wax — to grow
  10. track — a song
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. roll — a list
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. prune — to trim
  16. track — a path
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. roll — a cake
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. lie — to recline
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cabinet — ministers

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