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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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. game — a kind of play
  4. chest — of your body
  5. game — a match
  6. key — the most important part
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. chest — of your body
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. key — in music
  11. stock — goods
  12. game — wild animals
  13. firm — steady
  14. chest — a box
  15. stock — shares
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. firm — a company
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. firm — decided
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. key — for a lock

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