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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · tube · face · fan · deal · ball

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ball — a dance
  5. tube — the underground
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. tube — a container
  12. face — to confront
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. face — part of the head
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — an agreement

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