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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bank — for money
  5. key — in music
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bass — low music
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bank — for money
  12. face — to confront
  13. bass — the fish
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. snap — to click
  17. ground — a position
  18. face — to point toward
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bore — to tire
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bore — to drill
  23. ground — the earth
  24. fall — to drop

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