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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bound — obliged
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bound — certain
  5. ground — a position
  6. deal — to handle
  7. face — part of the head
  8. hand — in cards
  9. face — to point toward
  10. hand — help
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. face — to confront
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bound — tied together
  18. nail — for a hammer

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