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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 120 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pound — a weight
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bat — the animal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. kick — in football
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. face — to confront
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. temple — a place of worship

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