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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. track — to keep track
  3. mug — to rob
  4. land — ground
  5. root — of a word
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. track — a song
  8. root — the cause
  9. land — a country
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. land — to come down
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mug — a face
  15. rest — what's left
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rest — a break
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mug — a cup
  22. track — a path
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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