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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: face · bear · bound · snap · ground · saw · swing · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bound — certain
  9. bear — the animal
  10. ground — crushed
  11. swing — music
  12. bound — obliged
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bound — tied together
  15. snap — to click
  16. saw — the tool
  17. face — to confront
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ground — a position
  21. face — to point toward
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. face — part of the head

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