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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 116 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. face — to point toward
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. deal — to handle
  13. swing — music
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lean — thin
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pop — to visit
  23. swing — to play on
  24. deal — a big deal

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