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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. saw — the tool
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. band — a music group
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. saw — the tool
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. shower — rain
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. date — the fruit
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. can — a tin
  16. face — to confront
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. band — a ring
  19. face — part of the head
  20. shower — to wash
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. dip — to sink
  24. nail — on a finger

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