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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. face — part of the head
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. face — to point toward
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fall — the season
  10. bat — the animal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. face — to confront
  18. 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