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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — to confront
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. current — of water
  11. firm — decided
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. deal — to handle
  14. firm — a company
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. face — part of the head
  18. firm — steady
  19. mark — a trace
  20. current — happening now
  21. staff — employees
  22. mark — a grade
  23. current — electric
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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