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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. 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. face — to point toward
  2. field — farmland
  3. key — the most important part
  4. mug — to rob
  5. key — in music
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — to breed
  8. field — a subject
  9. mate — a friend
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — a face
  13. plane — a tool
  14. key — for a lock
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. field — for sport
  18. 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