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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: arm · wound · pound · face · current · ball · nail · deal

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wound — an injury
  4. current — of water
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. face — part of the head
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wound — an injury
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pound — a weight
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. current — happening now
  19. deal — to handle
  20. current — electric
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. face — to confront

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