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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. face — part of the head
  3. race — humankind
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. face — to confront
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. firm — steady
  8. drill — a practice
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. scale — size or range
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rash — hasty
  14. drill — the tool
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. race — the arms race
  19. drill — army training
  20. scale — in music
  21. race — a contest
  22. branch — a division
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — a company

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