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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: mine · ball · lash · pitcher · cap · ground · face · lean

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. face — to point toward
  6. lean — to bend
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mine — for digging
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. ground — crushed
  13. face — to confront
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cap — of ice
  24. lean — thin

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