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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 116 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: mine · plane · pound · pitcher · face · nail · last · fan

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mine — for digging
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. last — finally
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. last — to go on
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pound — a weight
  21. last — final
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. nail — for a hammer

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