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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. face — to point toward
  4. fall — to drop
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. ground — a position
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. ground — crushed
  9. fall — to drop
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. face — part of the head
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. current — electric
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. face — to confront
  19. fall — the season
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. date — the fruit
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  24. wave — with your hand

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