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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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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. lean — to bend
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. deal — to handle
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. key — the most important part
  13. face — to point toward
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. face — to confront
  16. wake — a trail
  17. face — part of the head
  18. deal — a big deal

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