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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
468
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: pass · nail · face · stock · cell · staff · spell · stick

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. spell — a short time
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. spell — magic
  8. cell — a phone
  9. staff — employees
  10. face — to point toward
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. staff — employees
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. spell — letters
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. staff — a stick
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. face — to confront
  24. pass — to succeed

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