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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rash — hasty
  3. face — to point toward
  4. track — to keep track
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rash — a series
  9. face — part of the head
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. track — a path
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. squash — the sport
  16. field — for sport
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. face — to confront
  19. field — farmland
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. track — a song
  22. field — a subject
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — all right

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