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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
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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: pitcher · season · object · face · spring · foot · nail · bound

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. foot — a measure
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to point toward
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bound — certain
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. object — to protest
  12. season — in sport
  13. object — an aim
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. object — a thing
  16. spring — the season
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. season — of the year
  24. pitcher — in baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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