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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — in football
  4. staff — employees
  5. rock — music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rock — a stone
  11. club — a group
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. sharp — clever
  14. staff — a stick
  15. face — part of the head
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. staff — employees
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. club — for dancing
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. face — to confront
  23. spring — of water
  24. club — for golf

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