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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: present · saw · face · squash · charge · fine · ground · object

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. ground — a position
  3. face — part of the head
  4. ground — the earth
  5. present — there
  6. saw — the tool
  7. present — the time now
  8. object — to protest
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. ground — crushed
  11. face — to confront
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. object — an aim
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. face — to point toward
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fine — all right
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. object — a thing
  24. charge — in control

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