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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: wake · deal · bore · bank · nail · chest · last · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. chest — a box
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bank — for money
  5. last — finally
  6. last — final
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bore — to drill
  9. wake — a trail
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. chest — of your body
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bank — for money
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bore — to tire
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chest — of your body
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. last — to go on
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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