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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. land — ground
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. ball — a great time
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mine — for digging
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — a country
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lie — to recline

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