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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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. key — for a lock
  2. mine — for digging
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. ball — a dance
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. fall — to drop
  7. face — to point toward
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. key — in music
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. face — to confront
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mark — a trace
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fall — the season
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. ball — a great time
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. stand — to bear
  24. face — part of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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