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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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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: mine · dip · snap · pitcher · nail · ruler · face · chest

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mine — for digging
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. chest — of your body
  9. face — to confront
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. chest — of your body
  14. snap — to click
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. chest — a box
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. ruler — for measuring

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