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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 120 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: pop · face · deal · nail · bound · spell · cold · cap

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  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. bound — tied together
  4. cap — of ice
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pop — to visit
  7. spell — a short time
  8. face — to point toward
  9. spell — letters
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bound — obliged
  13. spell — magic
  14. pop — soda
  15. bound — certain
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cold — not warm
  18. pop — music
  19. deal — to handle
  20. cold — an illness
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  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