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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. firm — steady
  3. fall — to drop
  4. land — ground
  5. fall — to drop
  6. land — to come down
  7. pop — music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. firm — a company
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. face — to point toward
  14. fall — the season
  15. firm — decided
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. land — a country
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to confront

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