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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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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — to confront
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. suit — in cards
  8. staff — employees
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. shower — rain
  11. staff — employees
  12. suit — clothes
  13. shower — to wash
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. staff — a stick
  20. suit — to fit
  21. pound — a weight
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. face — part of the head
  24. pound — for dogs

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