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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: chest · nail · mate · jam · cap · racket · sharp · face

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. face — to confront
  5. chest — a box
  6. mate — to breed
  7. cap — a hat
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cap — of ice
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. face — to point toward
  12. cap — a lid
  13. chest — of your body
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. mate — a friend
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mate — a partner

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