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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · face · file · pound · ground · safe · drill · mark

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. mark — a trace
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. ground — crushed
  7. drill — army training
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. ground — the earth
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. face — to point toward
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. ground — a position
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. file — a line of people
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. drill — a practice
  19. face — to confront
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. mark — a grade
  23. face — part of the head
  24. drill — the tool

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