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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: lash · mark · deal · toast · face · ground · craft · file

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. file — a line of people
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. mark — a grade
  8. file — a tool
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. craft — boats
  11. ground — crushed
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. mark — a trace
  16. face — to point toward
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. ground — the earth
  19. file — a document
  20. deal — to handle
  21. toast — bread
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. craft — a skill
  24. ground — a position

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