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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 120 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: wound · wave · season · ground · mine · face · plane · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. ground — the earth
  4. season — in sport
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. ground — a position
  8. wound — an injury
  9. scale — in music
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. mine — for digging
  12. wound — an injury
  13. face — to confront
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. ground — crushed
  17. face — to point toward
  18. season — of the year
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. plane — a tool
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. face — part of the head

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