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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bear — the animal
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pit — in a race
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — an illness
  11. track — a path
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. track — a song
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pit — a hole
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. fan — a supporter

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