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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. lean — thin
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lean — to bend
  5. face — part of the head
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. hand — in cards
  8. spell — a short time
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. stem — to come from
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. spell — letters
  14. can — a tin
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. spell — magic
  24. face — to confront

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