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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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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 · arm · court · face · wind · rule · temple

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. court — of a king
  5. rule — government
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. rule — a law
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — in sport
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. court — of law
  17. net — after costs
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wind — moving air
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wind — moving air
  23. court — for sport
  24. face — to confront

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