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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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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: fork · bear · nail · staff · rule · tear · land · temple

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. rule — a law
  3. staff — employees
  4. tear — to rip
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. staff — employees
  10. tear — from crying
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. land — to come down
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rule — government
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. land — a country
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bear — the animal
  24. staff — a stick

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