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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. wake — a trail
  3. lie — to recline
  4. hand — in cards
  5. club — for dancing
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. club — a group
  9. ground — a position
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. club — for golf
  12. plane — a tool
  13. ground — the earth
  14. fall — to drop
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. hand — help
  24. wake — before a funeral

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