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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wave · row · nail · pitcher · race · hand · face · foot

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. foot — a measure
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. face — to confront
  6. row — a line
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. race — the arms race
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. row — to paddle
  11. hand — help
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. hand — in cards
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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