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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bound — tied together
  10. kid — to tease
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bound — obliged
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bound — certain
  16. ground — crushed
  17. lie — to recline
  18. ground — a position
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. kid — child
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. scale — in music
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. ground — the earth

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