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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. face — part of the head
  3. lean — thin
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. season — of the year
  7. last — to go on
  8. lean — to bend
  9. face — to point toward
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. drill — the tool
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. drill — army training
  14. face — to confront
  15. season — in sport
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. drill — a practice
  21. last — finally
  22. chip — to eat
  23. last — final
  24. chip — for betting

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