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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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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: foot · arm · face · firm · pitcher · pop · fall · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — a company
  4. pop — to visit
  5. face — to point toward
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pop — soda
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. face — to confront
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fall — to drop
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. face — part of the head
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. fall — the season
  23. firm — decided
  24. pop — music

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