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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 had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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. face — to point toward
  4. kid — child
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. kid — to tease
  7. wind — moving air
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lean — thin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bass — low music
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. face — to confront
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wind — moving air
  22. lean — to bend
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bass — the instrument

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