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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. face — part of the head
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. face — to point toward
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. ground — crushed
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. face — to confront
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. net — for catching
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. net — after costs
  16. shower — rain
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. ground — the earth
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. charge — a price
  21. shower — to wash
  22. ground — a position
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. hide — to keep secret

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