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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. can — a tin
  5. fall — the season
  6. rash — a series
  7. can — to be able to
  8. land — ground
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fall — to drop
  11. can — a tin
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. club — for golf
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. club — a group
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. club — for dancing
  22. rash — hasty
  23. kick — in football
  24. rash — on the skin

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