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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 124 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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — a position
  9. band — a music group
  10. field — a subject
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wound — an injury
  15. field — for sport
  16. bank — for money
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bank — for money
  19. field — farmland
  20. band — a ring
  21. wound — an injury
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. band — a rubber band

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