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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bound — certain
  5. deal — to handle
  6. ground — the earth
  7. face — part of the head
  8. shower — to wash
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. bound — obliged
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pass — a permit
  19. face — to confront
  20. bound — tied together
  21. face — to point toward
  22. shower — rain
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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