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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: squash · face · ground · wave · can · firm · spring · file

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. spring — a coil
  3. squash — to crush
  4. spring — the season
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. ground — crushed
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. firm — a company
  10. file — a tool
  11. ground — a position
  12. squash — the sport
  13. face — to point toward
  14. spring — of water
  15. ground — the earth
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. firm — steady
  18. face — to confront
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. file — a document
  23. firm — decided
  24. can — a tin

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