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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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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: face · present · rush · deal · fork · bay · roll · ground

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. ground — a position
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. face — part of the head
  7. roll — a list
  8. face — to point toward
  9. present — there
  10. fork — in a road
  11. present — the time now
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. roll — a cake
  17. ground — crushed
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. face — to confront
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. present — a gift
  24. roll — on a roll

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