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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.

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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 · file · nail · ground · mark · prune · face · rock

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to confront
  8. dip — to sink
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. face — to point toward
  11. ground — crushed
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. file — a line of people
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. ground — a position
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rock — a stone
  19. prune — to trim
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a document
  22. rock — music
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. prune — to trim

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