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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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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: bound · face · straw · deal · foot · can · nail · stand

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. can — a tin
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — obliged
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bound — tied together
  10. deal — to handle
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. can — a tin
  13. face — to confront
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. can — to be able to
  20. face — part of the head
  21. foot — a measure
  22. stand — to bear
  23. face — to point toward
  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