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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. suit — clothes
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. land — to come down
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pound — a weight
  9. suit — to fit
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. land — ground
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cell — in biology
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. rule — government
  17. land — a country
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rule — a law
  21. cell — a phone
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. pound — for dogs

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