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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 116 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: dip · ground · drill · season · band · object · net · face

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. dip — to sink
  3. drill — a practice
  4. band — a music group
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. object — an aim
  7. face — to confront
  8. object — a thing
  9. ground — a position
  10. season — of the year
  11. face — to point toward
  12. band — a ring
  13. net — for catching
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. face — part of the head
  17. drill — the tool
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. net — in sport
  20. drill — army training
  21. season — in sport
  22. object — to protest
  23. net — after costs
  24. ground — the earth

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