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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. saw — the tool
  8. present — a gift
  9. ground — crushed
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. face — to point toward
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. present — the time now
  16. ground — a position
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rock — music
  20. present — there
  21. rock — a stone
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. wake — a trail

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