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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: net · nail · sharp · cabinet · fork · key · face · shower

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. key — in music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. net — in sport
  9. face — to point toward
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. net — after costs
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. shower — rain
  18. net — for catching
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  24. shower — to wash

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