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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · tube · cabinet · prune · deal · face · lash · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — a position
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. face — to point toward
  7. ground — the earth
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. face — to confront
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bear — the animal
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bear — the animal
  24. tube — the underground

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