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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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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. roll — a list
  7. face — part of the head
  8. ball — a dance
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. key — for a lock
  12. ball — a great time
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. charge — in control
  15. roll — a cake
  16. rash — a series
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — happy
  21. face — to confront
  22. rash — hasty
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. charge — a price

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