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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. craft — a skill
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. foot — a measure
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. craft — boats
  16. face — to point toward
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. drill — army training
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. tear — from crying
  21. face — part of the head
  22. drill — a practice
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. drill — the tool

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