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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 120 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. ground — a position
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. suit — clothes
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. suit — in cards
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. face — to point toward
  15. suit — to fit
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. ground — the earth

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