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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cap — a lid
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. charge — a price
  6. ball — a dance
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. net — after costs
  10. cap — a hat
  11. land — to come down
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. net — for catching
  14. land — a country
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. cap — of ice
  17. charge — in control
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. ball — a great time
  20. land — ground
  21. net — in sport
  22. charge — electricity
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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