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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.

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: craft · face · temple · object · nail · clip · net · toast

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. face — to confront
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. craft — boats
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. face — to point toward
  8. net — for catching
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. object — to protest
  11. net — after costs
  12. clip — a video
  13. object — an aim
  14. net — in sport
  15. clip — to cut
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. clip — for paper
  18. toast — bread
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. craft — a skill
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. face — part of the head
  24. object — a thing

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