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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. face — to confront
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. rest — what's left
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. tube — a container
  11. rest — a break
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — the fish
  15. deal — to handle
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rest — what's left
  18. tube — the underground
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. face — to point toward
  21. ground — crushed
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bass — low music

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