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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fall — to drop
  4. date — the fruit
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. root — of a plant
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fall — the season
  12. kick — in football
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. root — the cause
  16. fall — to drop
  17. root — of a word
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. rush — hurry
  24. nail — for a hammer

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