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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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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: can · firm · mark · swing · pound · face · nail · kid

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. can — a tin
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — steady
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pound — a weight
  10. face — to confront
  11. can — to be able to
  12. swing — in golf
  13. kid — to tease
  14. firm — a company
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. swing — to play on
  18. kid — child
  19. can — a tin
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. swing — music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mark — a grade
  24. nail — on a finger

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