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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. object — an aim
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. object — a thing
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wind — moving air
  16. object — to protest
  17. drill — army training
  18. wind — moving air
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pitch — completely
  23. drill — a practice
  24. wind — to turn a key

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