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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. fall — the season
  4. chair — a leader
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — a grade
  11. rest — what's left
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. fall — to drop
  15. face — to point toward
  16. rest — a break
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fall — to drop
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — part of the head
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rest — what's left

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