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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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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: wound · nail · club · face · stock · rule · rush · firm

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. rule — to rule out
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. firm — decided
  4. rule — a law
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. face — to confront
  11. stock — goods
  12. firm — steady
  13. club — for dancing
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. club — a group
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to point toward
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rule — government
  21. rush — hurry
  22. firm — a company
  23. club — for golf
  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