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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. face — to point toward
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. club — for dancing
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. row — to paddle
  10. club — a group
  11. chip — for betting
  12. tear — to rip
  13. chip — to eat
  14. perch — the fish
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. row — a line
  17. tear — from crying
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. tear — from crying
  21. face — part of the head
  22. club — for golf
  23. face — to confront
  24. chair — a leader

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