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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. season — in sport
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. season — of the year
  8. face — part of the head
  9. fall — the season
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — completely
  15. cell — a phone
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. saw — the tool
  18. face — to confront
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rock — a stone
  24. nail — on a finger

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