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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. fine — all right
  3. object — a thing
  4. mark — a trace
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. face — to point toward
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. face — part of the head
  9. deal — to handle
  10. rest — what's left
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. rest — what's left
  13. snap — to click
  14. object — to protest
  15. face — to confront
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rest — a break
  19. ground — crushed
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. mark — a grade
  22. ground — the earth
  23. object — an aim
  24. mark — to pay attention

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