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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. face — part of the head
  3. key — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. mate — a partner
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. field — for sport
  10. face — to confront
  11. field — a subject
  12. key — the most important part
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. field — farmland
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a line
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. scale — in music
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. key — for a lock
  24. face — to point toward

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