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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 124 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. wound — an injury
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rush — hurry
  5. face — to confront
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lie — to recline
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. stock — shares
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stock — goods
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ground — a position
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rush — a thrill

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