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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: game · root · spell · hide · rule · stick · saw · nail

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. root — of a word
  5. saw — the tool
  6. game — a match
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. saw — the tool
  12. root — the cause
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rule — government
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rule — a law
  18. root — of a plant
  19. spell — magic
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. hide — to keep secret

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