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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: nail · craft · foot · bowl · bound · face · tear · lean

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bound — certain
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. craft — a skill
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. tear — from crying
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bound — obliged
  11. face — to confront
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. lean — thin
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bound — tied together
  17. face — part of the head
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. craft — boats
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. face — to point toward

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