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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.

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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: pit · face · rash · land · deal · capital · nail · lie

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. pit — in a race
  3. face — part of the head
  4. land — a country
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. capital — money
  11. face — to point toward
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. land — to come down
  17. capital — a city
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. face — to confront
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rash — a series
  24. deal — to handle

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