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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: squash · face · sharp · bound · ground · craft · coach · pound

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. ground — crushed
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pound — a weight
  5. craft — boats
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bound — obliged
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. ground — the earth
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. ground — a position
  19. squash — the sport
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bound — tied together
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bound — certain
  24. face — to confront

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