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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. lean — to bend
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. rule — a law
  7. pound — a weight
  8. shower — to wash
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. spell — letters
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. shower — rain
  14. season — in sport
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. lean — thin
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rule — government
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. nail — for a hammer

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