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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
468
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: file · face · dip · mark · chest · cap · nail · object

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cap — a lid
  4. chest — of your body
  5. face — part of the head
  6. cap — of ice
  7. object — a thing
  8. dip — to sink
  9. chest — a box
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. object — an aim
  12. mark — a grade
  13. file — a line of people
  14. face — to point toward
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. file — a tool
  19. face — to confront
  20. object — to protest
  21. chest — of your body
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cap — a hat
  24. nail — for a hammer

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