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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. root — the cause
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mate — to breed
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. land — to come down
  8. root — of a word
  9. mate — a friend
  10. land — ground
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. land — a country
  16. root — of a plant
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mate — a partner
  20. lie — to recline
  21. hand — help
  22. wake — a trail
  23. row — to paddle
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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