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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lie — to recline
  3. roll — a list
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mine — for digging
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bat — the animal
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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