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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: bass · nail · key · face · bark · wind · mark · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. face — to confront
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bass — low music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bass — the fish
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. key — in music
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. face — to point toward
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mark — a trace
  24. nail — on a finger

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