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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: stand · nail · scale · swing · land · bore · wound · face

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wound — an injury
  6. swing — in golf
  7. scale — size or range
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bore — to drill
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. land — ground
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. swing — music
  15. scale — in music
  16. wound — an injury
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — to confront
  20. bore — to tire
  21. stand — to bear
  22. face — part of the head
  23. land — a country
  24. land — to come down

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