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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: face · nail · suit · swing · chest · fork · rule · firm

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. face — to confront
  3. chest — of your body
  4. swing — to play on
  5. firm — a company
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. swing — music
  8. firm — steady
  9. rule — government
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. suit — clothes
  14. chest — of your body
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rule — a law
  20. chest — a box
  21. firm — decided
  22. swing — in golf
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. suit — to fit

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