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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 · dip · rock · march · pound · file · nail · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. march — the month
  4. face — to point toward
  5. file — a line of people
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. march — music
  9. pound — a weight
  10. file — a tool
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rock — a stone
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. march — the month
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. file — a document
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rock — music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. dip — to sink

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