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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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. face — part of the head
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. board — to get on
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. fork — in a road
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. file — a line of people
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. board — a committee
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. face — to confront
  19. mate — a partner
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mine — for digging
  22. file — a document
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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