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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · nail · bat · staff · fine · land · key · lie

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rock — music
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. staff — a stick
  7. fine — high quality
  8. land — to come down
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bat — the animal
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. lie — to recline
  15. land — ground
  16. land — a country
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. key — the most important part
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. fine — all right
  24. rock — to move gently

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