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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.

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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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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: face · mouse · stick · chest · bound · snap · nail · mark

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mark — a grade
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mark — a trace
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. snap — to click
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. chest — a box

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