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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. firm — steady
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. firm — decided
  7. roll — a list
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. drill — the tool
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. firm — a company
  13. face — part of the head
  14. drill — army training
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a cake
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — to confront
  20. game — wild animals
  21. drill — a practice
  22. ground — the earth
  23. game — a match
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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