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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: lean · nail · land · mine · mate · chip · straw · root

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. chip — for betting
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mate — to breed
  5. lean — thin
  6. root — of a plant
  7. land — ground
  8. mine — for digging
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. root — the cause
  11. mate — a partner
  12. land — to come down
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. chip — to eat
  16. mate — a friend
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. root — of a word
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. land — a country
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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