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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: face · fork · mark · pop · tear · game · bore · nail

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pop — soda
  5. game — a match
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bore — to tire
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. face — part of the head
  10. pop — to visit
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bore — to drill
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. tear — to rip
  19. pop — music
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mark — a trace
  22. game — wild animals
  23. fork — in a road
  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