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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — to wash
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pit — in a race
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. march — the month
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rush — hurry

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