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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. face — to point toward
  3. present — a gift
  4. face — to confront
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. face — part of the head
  11. present — there
  12. sharp — clever
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. present — the time now
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. sharp — with an edge

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