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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. face — to confront
  3. firm — decided
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. firm — a company
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. net — for catching
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. face — to point toward
  12. drill — a practice
  13. firm — steady
  14. net — after costs
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. drill — army training
  18. face — part of the head
  19. staff — a stick
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. kid — child
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. net — in sport

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