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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 words: he'll be late again.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mate — to breed
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. land — to come down
  6. mark — a grade
  7. fall — to drop
  8. land — ground
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fall — to drop
  11. firm — a company
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mate — a partner
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. firm — steady
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mate — a friend
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. firm — decided
  20. fall — the season
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mark — a trace
  24. land — a country

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