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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. chest — of your body
  4. charge — electricity
  5. face — to confront
  6. pitch — completely
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. charge — a price
  9. root — of a word
  10. chest — of your body
  11. charge — in control
  12. face — part of the head
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. key — in music
  19. root — the cause
  20. key — the most important part
  21. chest — a box
  22. root — of a plant
  23. land — ground
  24. pitch — a sports field

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