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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: squash · nail · deal · rest · chair · object · shower · face

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. face — part of the head
  3. object — to protest
  4. chair — a leader
  5. face — to point toward
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rest — a break
  12. object — a thing
  13. rest — what's left
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. squash — to crush
  16. face — to confront
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. object — an aim
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. rest — what's left
  22. squash — the sport
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. shower — rain

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