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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: land · staff · deal · nail · bat · face · bay · calf

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bat — the animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. land — a country
  10. face — part of the head
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. deal — to handle
  15. land — ground
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. land — to come down
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. deal — an agreement

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