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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fall · leaves · lie · club · nail · saw · bark · ball

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. saw — the tool
  3. club — for golf
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. fall — the season
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bark — to shout
  14. club — a group
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. lie — to recline
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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