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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.

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: pop · ground · face · squash · stick · fall · fine · staff

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. ground — crushed
  3. fine — high quality
  4. squash — the sport
  5. fine — all right
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. ground — a position
  9. fall — to drop
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ground — the earth
  13. squash — to crush
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. face — to confront
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. staff — employees
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pop — to visit
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fall — the season

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