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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: nail · lie · face · plane · coach · snap · stick · bay

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. lie — to recline
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. face — to point toward
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. face — to confront
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. face — part of the head
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. lie — an untruth

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