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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: nail · object · cabinet · mug · last · face · hand · hide

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. mug — a face
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. object — an aim
  6. last — final
  7. mug — a cup
  8. last — to go on
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. last — finally
  12. face — to point toward
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hand — in cards
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mug — to rob
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. face — part of the head
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. face — to confront
  23. hand — help
  24. object — a thing

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