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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 · scale · arm · face · last · lash · bear · deal

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. scale — size or range
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. face — part of the head
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. last — final
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. face — to confront
  13. last — finally
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. scale — in music
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bear — the animal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bear — the animal
  23. last — to go on
  24. scale — for weighing

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