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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. land — a country
  5. fine — all right
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fall — to drop
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. land — to come down
  12. fall — the season
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fall — to drop
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. land — ground
  17. lean — to bend
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. craft — a skill
  20. branch — a division
  21. craft — boats
  22. lean — thin
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fine — high quality

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