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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. can — a tin
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. can — a tin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. ground — a position
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. cold — an illness
  12. ground — crushed
  13. can — to be able to
  14. fall — the season
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cold — not warm
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mark — a trace

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