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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 120 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. face — to confront
  3. spring — a coil
  4. mark — a grade
  5. spring — of water
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — for digging
  8. face — part of the head
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ground — crushed
  12. current — electric
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. spring — the season
  15. current — of water
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. ground — a position
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. current — happening now
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. face — to point toward

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