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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 120 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: nail · ball · foot · leaves · land · charge · stick · tear

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. land — to come down
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. foot — a measure
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. land — a country
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. land — ground
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. ball — a great time
  21. charge — in control
  22. tear — to rip
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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