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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. hand — help
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. face — to point toward
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. face — to confront
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pop — to visit
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pop — soda
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pop — music
  21. face — part of the head
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. nail — for a hammer

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