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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: nail · key · lie · land · club · perch · rest · leaves

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. key — for a lock
  4. lie — to recline
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. club — a group
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. perch — the fish
  12. club — for dancing
  13. land — to come down
  14. key — in music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. land — a country
  18. key — the most important part
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. land — ground
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. leaves — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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