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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. kid — child
  7. spell — magic
  8. face — to confront
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. mine — for digging
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. spell — a short time
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. spell — letters
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. kid — to tease
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. fork — in a road

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