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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: snap · date · face · wave · nail · press · mine · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. mine — for digging
  3. date — the fruit
  4. press — a publisher
  5. face — to confront
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. press — to push
  9. face — to point toward
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. ground — crushed
  13. face — part of the head
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ground — a position
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. snap — to click

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