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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: nail · face · safe · spring · race · staff · board · pitch

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitch — completely
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. race — a contest
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. spring — a coil
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — to get on
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. staff — employees
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. staff — a stick
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. race — the arms race
  19. spring — of water
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. spring — the season
  22. staff — employees
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. race — humankind

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