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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.

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: nail · mug · face · fork · track · band · bass · stick

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. fork — in a road
  4. mug — a face
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bass — the fish
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. track — a song
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mug — to rob
  12. track — a path
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a music group
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bass — low music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. face — to confront
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. face — part of the head

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