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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: firm · face · mine · pit · prune · wound · hand · foot

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. firm — decided
  6. prune — to trim
  7. firm — steady
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pit — in a race
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to confront
  14. pit — a hole
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wound — an injury
  17. foot — a measure
  18. wound — an injury
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. face — to point toward
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. mine — for digging
  24. firm — a company

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