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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: ground · cabinet · fine · nail · season · dip · face · fall

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. season — in sport
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. ground — the earth
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. face — to point toward
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. ground — crushed
  12. fall — the season
  13. ground — a position
  14. fall — to drop
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. face — to confront
  19. season — of the year
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fine — high quality
  22. face — part of the head
  23. fall — to drop
  24. dip — to sink

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