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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ground — the earth
  3. key — for a lock
  4. ball — a dance
  5. face — to point toward
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. key — the most important part
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ground — crushed
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ground — a position
  14. charge — in control
  15. season — in sport
  16. ball — a great time
  17. key — in music
  18. face — to confront
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. season — of the year
  21. face — part of the head
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. charge — electricity
  24. straw — a straw man

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