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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 116 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: bat · nail · staff · ground · tear · suit · rush · face

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. tear — to rip
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — part of the head
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. suit — in cards
  8. tear — from crying
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bat — the animal
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. suit — clothes
  14. face — to confront
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rush — hurry
  18. staff — a stick
  19. ground — a position
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. ground — crushed
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. tear — from crying

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