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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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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: deal · trunk · face · chair · toast · kid · key · nail

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. face — part of the head
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. face — to point toward
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. kid — child
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. kid — to tease
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — in music
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. chair — a leader
  22. face — to confront
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. key — the most important part

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