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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: object · cap · row · nail · stick · lash · face · firm

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. object — to protest
  7. firm — a company
  8. face — to confront
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. firm — steady
  11. object — an aim
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. face — to point toward
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. row — a line
  20. face — part of the head
  21. object — a thing
  22. cap — a lid
  23. firm — decided
  24. row — to paddle

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