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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. land — to come down
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bound — tied together
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. face — part of the head
  9. ball — a great time
  10. land — a country
  11. bound — certain
  12. face — to confront
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bound — obliged
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. ball — a dance
  22. tube — the underground
  23. land — ground
  24. last — finally

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