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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  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. track — a path
  2. drill — the tool
  3. last — final
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. land — a country
  8. land — to come down
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. drill — army training
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. fine — high quality
  15. drill — a practice
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. last — to go on
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. land — ground
  22. last — finally
  23. safe — out of danger
  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