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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 120 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. face — to confront
  3. key — in music
  4. land — to come down
  5. face — to point toward
  6. key — for a lock
  7. land — ground
  8. land — a country
  9. charge — in control
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. charge — electricity
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. ground — crushed
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. key — the most important part
  17. row — a line
  18. charge — a price
  19. face — part of the head
  20. row — to paddle
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. ground — a position

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