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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rest — what's left
  3. spell — letters
  4. saw — the tool
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. spell — a short time
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. rest — what's left
  12. face — to confront
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. chip — for betting
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rest — a break
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. spell — magic
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — a series
  23. chip — to eat
  24. nail — for a hammer

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