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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.

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: craft · arm · mark · ground · face · fine · spring · racket

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mark — a grade
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. mark — a trace
  7. spring — the season
  8. craft — a skill
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. fine — high quality
  12. ground — a position
  13. craft — boats
  14. spring — a coil
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. face — part of the head
  18. spring — of water
  19. fine — all right
  20. face — to confront
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. arm — a part of something

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