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

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. firm — steady
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. face — to confront
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. firm — decided
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. saw — the tool
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. firm — a company
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. face — to point toward
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. pop — soda
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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