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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: face · bound · nail · stand · cue · stick · pit · hand

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. face — to point toward
  4. hand — help
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pit — a hole
  10. cue — a signal
  11. face — to confront
  12. bound — certain
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bound — tied together
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bound — obliged
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pit — in a race
  24. stand — to bear

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