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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 116 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: ground · lie · face · mine · bore · deal · degree · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. face — part of the head
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ground — a position
  9. degree — from a university
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bore — to drill
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. face — to confront
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bore — to tire
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. degree — an amount
  23. lie — to recline
  24. face — to point toward

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