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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
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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: nail · bear · race · stand · land · root · rush · lie

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. lie — to recline
  3. race — a contest
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. race — humankind
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rush — hurry
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stand — to bear
  11. root — of a word
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bear — the animal
  14. land — ground
  15. race — the arms race
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. root — the cause
  18. land — a country
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bear — the animal
  24. land — to come down

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