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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 120 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ground — the earth
  3. kid — to tease
  4. spell — letters
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. land — a country
  7. ground — a position
  8. foot — a measure
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. spell — magic
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. kid — child
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. spell — a short time
  18. land — to come down
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. land — ground
  24. foot — the bottom

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