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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. ground — the earth
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. face — part of the head
  6. file — a tool
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. file — a line of people
  9. key — in music
  10. face — to confront
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. face — to point toward
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bound — obliged
  19. file — a document
  20. ground — crushed
  21. key — for a lock
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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