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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: nail · bear · pitch · face · object · hand · deal · fine

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. object — to protest
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. bear — the animal
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fine — all right
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. hand — help
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fine — high quality
  17. object — an aim
  18. bear — the animal
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pitch — completely
  21. object — a thing
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. hand — in cards
  24. nail — for a hammer

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