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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: game · nail · face · fine · cabinet · suit · staff · last

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. last — finally
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. last — final
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. face — to confront
  7. last — to go on
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. game — a match
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. staff — employees
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fine — all right
  21. face — to point toward
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. staff — employees

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