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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. rule — a law
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rule — government
  6. wound — an injury
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. root — of a word
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. root — the cause
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. court — for sport
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. lean — to bend
  22. court — of a king
  23. root — of a plant
  24. lean — thin

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