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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 120 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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. mug — a face
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. ground — the earth
  15. last — finally
  16. ground — a position
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — final
  19. ball — a dance
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mark — a trace
  23. face — part of the head
  24. ball — a great time

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