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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: hand · key · ground · wave · mate · drill · face · object

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. mate — a friend
  4. object — a thing
  5. ground — crushed
  6. object — an aim
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. key — the most important part
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mate — to breed
  11. key — for a lock
  12. object — to protest
  13. drill — army training
  14. hand — help
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. drill — the tool
  17. hand — in cards
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. ground — a position
  21. key — in music
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to confront
  24. drill — a practice

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