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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 116 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. rest — what's left
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. object — an aim
  5. file — a line of people
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. file — a document
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. file — a tool
  11. rest — a break
  12. object — to protest
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. object — a thing
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. face — to confront
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pit — in a race

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