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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · mouse · cell · face · row · nail · stock · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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. tear — to rip
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. ball — a dance
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. cell — a phone
  9. face — to point toward
  10. ball — a great time
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. row — a line
  13. row — to paddle
  14. stock — shares
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. stock — goods
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. face — part of the head
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. face — to confront
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cell — in biology
  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