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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bound — obliged
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. face — to point toward
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a word
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. face — to confront
  14. march — the month
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. march — music
  17. bat — the animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. march — the month
  20. root — of a plant
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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