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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — to confront
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stock — goods
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. snap — to click
  11. face — part of the head
  12. key — the most important part
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bore — to drill
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. net — for catching
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. key — in music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stand — to bear
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — a soup base

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