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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. ground — a position
  3. face — to point toward
  4. ground — crushed
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. clip — a video
  10. pit — in a race
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ground — the earth
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. key — in music
  17. rash — a series
  18. toast — bread
  19. pit — a hole
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rash — hasty
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — to cut
  24. key — for a lock

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