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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. root — the cause
  3. cue — a hint
  4. ground — a position
  5. cue — a signal
  6. root — of a plant
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cue — for pool
  10. plane — a tool
  11. lie — to recline
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. ground — crushed
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. kick — in football
  20. root — of a word
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. lie — an untruth

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