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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. face — to confront
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rest — what's left
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ground — crushed
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bass — low music
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bank — for money
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pit — a hole
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pit — in a race
  18. ground — a position
  19. bank — for money
  20. rest — a break
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. face — to point toward
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bass — the instrument

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