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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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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: toast · object · squash · stick · pit · ground · nail · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. toast — bread
  6. ground — the earth
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pit — in a race
  12. face — part of the head
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. ground — a position
  17. object — a thing
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pit — a hole
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. squash — to crush
  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