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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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Word bank
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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. scale — size or range
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. face — to confront
  5. object — to protest
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. face — part of the head
  9. scale — in music
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. spring — a coil
  12. face — to point toward
  13. spring — the season
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. object — a thing
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. staff — employees
  24. object — an aim

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