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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: spell · face · fall · temple · firm · nail · prune · chest

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fall — the season
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fall — to drop
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. fall — to drop
  10. face — to point toward
  11. firm — steady
  12. prune — to trim
  13. firm — a company
  14. chest — of your body
  15. firm — decided
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. face — part of the head
  18. spell — magic
  19. face — to confront
  20. prune — to trim
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — letters
  23. chest — a box
  24. temple — a place of worship

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