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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — finally
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. club — a group
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. spring — of water
  18. last — final
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — for dancing
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bat — the animal
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. spring — the season

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