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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: fall · key · land · root · lie · bear · drill · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bear — the animal
  3. swing — to play on
  4. drill — the tool
  5. key — the most important part
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. root — of a plant
  8. land — ground
  9. bear — the animal
  10. key — in music
  11. swing — music
  12. land — a country
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. root — of a word
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. lie — to recline
  17. drill — a practice
  18. key — for a lock
  19. fall — the season
  20. drill — army training
  21. land — to come down
  22. root — the cause
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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