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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 120 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: ground · rash · spell · craft · bay · lean · pound · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rash — a series
  5. spell — a short time
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. craft — a skill
  9. ground — a position
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. craft — boats
  12. pound — a weight
  13. rash — hasty
  14. lean — to bend
  15. ground — the earth
  16. spell — letters
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. spell — magic
  23. lean — thin
  24. ground — crushed

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