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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 120 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 was locked up in a ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. snap — to click
  6. bear — the animal
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. face — to confront
  10. bear — the animal
  11. face — to point toward
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. cell — a phone
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. deal — to handle
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cell — in biology
  23. face — part of the head
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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