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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bound — certain
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. face — part of the head
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pop — to visit
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pop — soda
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. face — to confront
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. face — to point toward
  16. wake — a trail
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bound — obliged
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pop — music
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. fork — in a road

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