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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: leaves · rest · rock · bulb · ground · key · land · nail

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. rest — what's left
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. ground — the earth
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rest — what's left
  8. key — in music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rock — music
  11. land — to come down
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rest — a break
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — a stone
  18. land — a country
  19. bulb — for light
  20. land — ground
  21. ground — crushed
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ground — a position
  24. nail — on a finger

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