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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mine — for digging
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. face — part of the head
  16. stand — to bear
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. face — to confront
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. tear — to rip

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