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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: bass · deal · face · staff · wound · calf · ground · jam

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. staff — employees
  5. face — part of the head
  6. staff — employees
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. face — to confront
  14. deal — to handle
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bass — the fish
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ground — crushed
  20. wound — an injury
  21. staff — a stick
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. deal — an agreement

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