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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rock — a stone
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. land — a country
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. land — to come down
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. wound — an injury
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. rock — music
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. face — to point toward
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wound — an injury
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. land — ground
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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