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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fall — to drop
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. current — happening now
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. current — electric
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. current — of water
  17. lie — to recline
  18. saw — the tool
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. saw — the tool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. tear — from crying

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